16 Korean Movies That Will Blow Your Mind

Hello movie lovers out there, here are some of the best Korean movies you can't miss.

1. Joint Security Area 공동경비구역 JSA (2000)

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Directed By: Chan-wook Park

Cast: Kang-ho Song, Byung-hun Lee, Ha-kyun Shin, Yeong-ae Lee, Tae-woo Kim

Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.

Watch it if: You are interested in North-South Korean reunification issues. The film follows an investigation into the circumstances surrounding a fatal shooting incident within the DMZ, the heavily fortified border that separates North and South Korea. It was the highest grossing film in Korean film history at the time.

2. Oasis 오아시스 (2002)

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Directed By: Chang-dong Lee

Cast: Kyung-gu Seol, So-ri Moon

Runtime: 52 min.

Watch it if you: want to think about the meaning of love by the viewpoint of two inarticulate, fragile, yet honest souls. This movie tells a story of romance between a mildly mentally disabled man who was just released from jail after a two and a half year sentence and a woman with severe cerebral palsy.

3. Sympathy for Mr.Vengeance 복수는 나의 것 (2002)

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Rating: R (for strong gruesome violence, strong sexuality, language and drug use)

Directed By: Park Chan-wook

Cast: Kang-ho Song, Ha-gyun Shin, Du-na Bae

Runtime:2 hr. 1 min.

Watch it if: You are ready to start the director Chan-wook Park’s 'The Vengeance Trilogy'. The story follows the character Ryu trying to earn enough money for his sister's kidney transplant and the path of vengeance that follows.

4. Old Boy 올드보이 (2003)

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Rating: R (for strong violence including scenes of torture, sexuality and pervasive language)

Directed By: Park Chan-wook

Cast: Min-sik Choi, Hye-jeong Gang, Ji-tae Yoo

Runtime:1 hr. 58 min.

Watch it if: You want to keep watching Chan-wook Park’s 'The Vengeance Trilogy'. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and followed by Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. The film follows the story of a guy who is locked in a hotel room for 15 years without knowing the identity of his captor or his captor's motives. This movie is known as the best of the trilogy and also one of the best Korean movies that’s ever made.

5. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring 봄 여름 가을 겨울...그리고 봄 (2003)

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Rating: R (for some strong sexuality)

Directed By: Kim Ki-duk

Cast: Yeong-su Oh, Ki-duk Kim, Yeung-min Kim, Jae-qyeong Seo, Yeo-jin Ha

Runtime:1 hr. 42 min.

Watch it if: You want to see beautiful scenery of Korea, and are interested in philosophy of 'Reincarnation'. The story is about the life of a Buddhist monk as he passes through the seasons of his life, from childhood to old age.

6. Memories of Murder 살인의 추억 (2003)

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Rating: R

Directed By: Bong Joon-ho

Cast: Kang-ho Song, Sang-kyung Kim, Roe-ha Kim, Jae-ho Song

Runtime:2 hr. 9 min.

Watch it if: You want to witness an unsolved murder case of South Korea in 1986 under the military dictatorship. It is based on the true story of the Korea's first serial murder in history, which took place between 1986 and 1991 and is known as one of the most well-made thriller movies in Korea.

7. 3-IRON 빈 집 (2004)

Via filmmakers.co.kr

Rating: R (for some sexual content)

Directed By: Kim Ki-duk

Cast: Seung-yeon Lee, Jae-hee Song, Hyeok-ho Kwon, Jin-mo Joo

Runtime:1 hr. 27 min.

Watch it if: You want to explore the director Ki-Duk Kim’s beautifully unique cinematography. The plot revolves around the relationship between a young drifter and an abused housewife.

8. A Bittersweet Life 달콤한 인생 (2005)

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Directed By: Ji-woon Kim

Cast: Byung-hun Lee, Young-cheol Kim, Min-ah Shin, Jeong-min Hwang

Runtime:1 hr. 58 min.

Watch it if: You want to see the ethical codes in the Korean mob and how they clash with personal morality.

9. Sympathy for Lady Vengeance 친절한 금자씨 (2005)

Via plumeriamovies.com

Rating: R (for strong violent content -- some involving children, and some sexuality)

Directed By: Park Chan-wook

Cast: Young-ae Lee, Min-sik Choi, Dal-su Oh

Runtime: 1 hr. 54 min.

Watch it if: You are ready to finally finish Chan-wook Park’s 'The Vengeance Trilogy'. The film tells a story of Lee Geum-ja, a woman released from prison after serving the sentence for a murder she did not commit. It's her story of revenge against the real murderer.

10. King and the Clown 왕의 남자 (2005)

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Directed By: Lee Joon-ik, Lee Jun-ik

Cast: Joon-ki Lee, Woo-sung Kam, Jin-young Jung, Sung-yeon Kang

Runtime:2 hr. 1 min.

Watch it if: You want to see one of the first Korean commercial films to deal openly and unabashedly with gay themes. This period drama concerns two 16th century, Chosun Era clowns: the supremely self-assured Jang-seng and transsexual Gong-gil.

11. The Chaser 추격자 (2008)

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Rating: R

Directed By: Hong-jin Na

Cast: Yoon-seok Kim, Young-hee Seo, Jung-woo Ha

Runtime:2 hr. 4 min.

Watch it if: You want to watch a brilliant and stylish South Korean thriller inspired by real-life Korean serial killer Yoo Young-chul.

12. Poetry 시 (2010)

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Directed By: Chang-dong Lee

Cast: Jung-hee Yoon, David Lee, Ha-ra Kim, Nae-sang Ahn

Runtime:2 hr. 19 min.

Watch it if: You want to watch a masterful study of the subtle empowerment - and moral compass - of an elderly woman. And more of that, a vision of human empathy. It tells the story of a suburban woman in her 60s who begins to develop an interest in poetry while struggling with Alzheimer's disease and her irresponsible grandson.

13. I Saw the Devil 악마를 보았다 (2010)

Via aintitcool.com

Directed By: Ji-woon Kim, Kim Jee-woon

Cast: Byung-hun Lee, Min-sik Choi, Kook-Hwan Chun, Ho-jin Chun

Runtime:2 hr. 23 min.

Watch it if: You are ready to watch a shockingly violent and stunningly accomplished tale of murder and revenge. The film tells a story of an NIS agent, who embarks on a quest of revenge when his fiancée is brutally murdered by a psychopathic murderer. The line between good and evil begins to blur when the two play a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

14. The Man from Nowhere 아저씨 (2010)

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Rating: R (for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, drug content and brief nudity)

Directed By: Jeong-beom Lee

Cast: Bin Won, Sae-ron Kim, Tae-hoon Kim

Runtime:1 hr. 59 min.

Watch it if: You want to watch Korean version of ‘Leon’ (and enjoy the beauty of one of the most handsome actors in Korea, Bin). The film follows the story of a decorated ex-black operations soldier who embarks on a bloody rampage when the only person who seems to understand him is kidnapped.

15. The Secret Sunshine 밀양 (2010)

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Directed By: Chang-dong Lee

Cast: Do-yeon Jeon, Kang-ho Song

Runtime:2 hr. 22 min.

Watch it if: You have ever thought about the irony of religion. It's a story based on the short fiction "The Story of a Bug" by Lee Cheong-jun that focuses on a woman as she wrestles with the questions of grief, madness, and faith in her life.

16. SNOWPIERCER 설국열차 (2014)

Via rottentomatoes.com

Rating: R (for violence, language and drug content)

Directed By: Bong Joon-ho

Cast: Chris Evans, Kang-ho Song, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt

Runtime:2 hr. 6 min.

Watch it if: You like to think about Capitalism and global warming. It's a science fiction action film based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige. The movie takes place aboard the globe-spanning Snowpiercer train which holds the last remnants of humanity after an attempt at climate engineering in order to stop global warming has created a new ice age.