The Best Korean Movies of 2024
EditorialSteffen20 titles08/24/2026
The year in Korean cinema in 20 films: from occult horror "Exhuma," which premiered at the Berlinale, and Hyun Bin in the historical thriller "1909" to quiet stories like "Hear Me: Our Summer," told almost entirely in sign language. The lineup also includes Netflix productions and the fourth …
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- 1
Hidden Face히든페이스
What it's aboutCellist Soo-yeon disappears without a trace, leaving only a video message for her future husband, conductor Seong-jin. Cellist Mi-joo takes her place in the orchestra, and Seong-jin soon finds himself drawn to her. An erotic thriller by Kim Dae-woo, based on the 2011 Spanish-Colombian film “The Hidden Face,” starring Song Seung-heon, Cho Yeo-jeong, and Park Ji-hyun.
Why it's on this listThe erotic thriller became the first Korean film rated 18+ since 2019 to draw more than a million moviegoers.
- 2
Exhuma파묘
What it's aboutA wealthy Korean American family in Los Angeles calls in shaman Hwa-rim and her apprentice: their newborn is suffering from a mysterious illness. Hwa-rim sees the wrath of an ancestor behind it and recommends moving the grandfather’s grave in Korea. To do so, she brings in a geomancer and a mortician. Starring Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin, and Lee Do-hyun, directed by Jang Jae-hyun.
Why it's on this listJang Jae-hyun’s occult thriller premiered at the 2024 Berlinale and won the Best Director award at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
- 3
Badland Hunters황야
What it's aboutThree years after a devastating earthquake, Seoul has become a lawless wasteland. Hunter Nam-san and his young partner Ji-wan gather the supplies a small settlement needs to survive. When young Su-na is abducted by scientist Yang Gi-su, who is conducting illegal human experiments, Nam-san sets out after them. A standalone sequel to “Concrete Utopia,” starring Ma Dong-seok and Lee Hee-joon.
Why it's on this listA devastated Seoul provides the action backdrop: the standalone sequel to “Concrete Utopia” premiered worldwide on Netflix in January 2024.
- 4
The Roundup: Punishment범죄도시 4
What it's aboutIn the Philippines, former special forces soldier Baek Chang-gi runs an illegal online gambling business, and anyone who tries to leave pays with their life. When Detective Ma Seok-do investigates the death of an employee, he joins the cybercrime division to track down the gambling ring. The fourth installment in the series stars Ma Dong-seok, Kim Mu-yeol, and Park Ji-hwan, and is directed by Heo Myung-haeng.
Why it's on this listMa Dong-seok cleans house for the fourth time, this time taking on an online gambling ring in the Philippines—and the film passed the ten-million mark.
- 5
Officer Black Belt무도실무관
What it's aboutLee Jung-do has black belts in taekwondo, kendo, and judo, but he’d rather deliver food for his father’s chicken restaurant and play video games with friends. After helping a probation officer subdue a violent offender, he’s recruited as a martial arts probation officer. Working alongside Kim Sun-min, he monitors offenders wearing electronic ankle bracelets. Starring Kim Woo-bin and Kim Sung-kyun, directed by Jason Kim.
Why it's on this listKim Woo-bin teams up with a probation officer as an officer of the martial arts division to take on criminals wearing ankle monitors—a Netflix hit in fall 2024.
- 6
Project Silence탈출: 프로젝트 사일런스
What it's aboutPoor visibility triggers a massive pileup and explosion on a bridge leading to the airport, and the structure is in danger of collapsing. The survivors are trapped, and amid the chaos, dogs escape from a secret military experiment and attack anyone they encounter. Starring Lee Sun-kyun, Ju Ji-hoon, and Kim Hee-won, directed by Kim Tae-gon.
Why it's on this listThe disaster spectacle set on an airport bridge screened at Cannes in 2023 before reaching theaters in summer 2024, starring Lee Sun-kyun and Ju Ji-hoon.
- 7
Hijack 1971하이재킹
What it's aboutJanuary 1971: Copilot Tae-in and Captain Gyu-sik take off from Sokcho for Seoul’s Gimpo Airport in a small passenger plane. Shortly after takeoff, a passenger detonates a homemade bomb, storms the cockpit, and demands that they fly to North Korea. Based on the real 1971 plane hijacking, starring Ha Jung-woo, Yeo Jin-goo, Sung Dong-il, and Chae Soo-bin, directed by Kim Seong-han.
Why it's on this listHa Jung-woo and Yeo Jin-goo star in a plane-set thriller based on the real-life hijacking of a Korean passenger jet in January 1971.
- 8
Hear Me: Our Summer청설
What it's aboutYong-jun has no plan for his life and makes deliveries for his parents’ lunchbox shop. On a delivery to a swimming pool, he meets Yeo-reum, who is there with her sister Ga-eul, a deaf swimmer with big ambitions. Yong-jun speaks to Yeo-reum in sign language, and the two grow closer. A remake of the Taiwanese film “Hear Me,” starring Hong Kyung, Roh Yoon-seo, and Kim Min-ju, directed by Cho Sun-ho.
Why it's on this listA love story told almost entirely in sign language: the remake screened at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival and opened in theaters in November.
- 9
Alienoid: Return to the Future외계+인 2부
What it's aboutThe second installment of Choi Dong-hoon’s sci-fi adventure: Lee Ahn is trapped in the past, where an escaped alien prisoner is hiding inside a human body. To return to the present and prevent a catastrophe, she needs a divine sword that opens the gate through time. Starring Kim Tae-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Woo-bin, and Yum Jung-ah.
Why it's on this listIn January 2024, Choi Dong-hoon wrapped up his two-part time-travel epic about aliens, starring Kim Tae-ri and Ryu Jun-yeol.
- 10
Uprising전,란
What it's aboutLate 16th-century Joseon: Cheon-yeong is a slave in the household of a powerful military family, an exceptional fighter who longs for freedom. His master, Jong-ryeo, the son of a high-ranking officer, is also his childhood friend. Then the Japanese invade, and the war puts their friendship to the test. Starring Gang Dong-won and Park Jeong-min, directed by Kim Sang-man, written by Park Chan-wook and Shin Cheol.
Why it's on this listGang Dong-won as a sword-wielding slave, Park Jeong-min as his master: a war epic set during the Japanese invasion of 1592.
- 11
Escape탈주
What it's aboutNorth Korea, near the border with the South: Sergeant Lim Gyu-nam is nearing the end of his ten years of military service and secretly plans to escape across the Demilitarized Zone. Ri Hyun-sang, an officer in state security and a childhood acquaintance, is sent after him and is determined to stop him at any cost. Starring Lee Je-hoon and Koo Kyo-hwan, directed by Lee Jong-pil.
Why it's on this listA 94-minute chase through the Demilitarized Zone: Lee Je-hoon and Koo Kyo-hwan play a deserter and the man pursuing him.
- 12
My Name Is Loh Kiwan로기완
What it's aboutLoh Kiwan has fled North Korea and arrives in Brussels penniless in the middle of winter. Unable to speak the language, he struggles to survive on the streets and fight for refugee status. There, he meets a young woman who has lost everything she once relied on. Based on the novel by Cho Hae-jin, starring Song Joong-ki and Choi Sung-eun, directed by Kim Hee-jin.
Why it's on this listA refugee drama with a love story set in wintry Brussels, based on a novel by Cho Hae-jin and starring Song Joong-ki in the title role.
- 13
I, the Executioner베테랑 2
What it's aboutDetective Seo Do-cheol and his violent crimes unit have a new case: A masked killer is executing people who were never properly punished for their crimes, and videos of the murders are spreading online. To catch him, the team brings in young police officer Park. A sequel to “Veteran” (2015), starring Hwang Jung-min and Jung Hae-in, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan.
Why it's on this listNine years after “Veteran,” Ryoo Seung-wan sends Hwang Jung-min after criminals again, this time pursuing a murderer who takes justice into his own hands.
- 14
Bogotá: City of the Lost보고타: 마지막 기회의 땅
What it's aboutAfter the 1997 Asian financial crisis, 19-year-old Guk-hee emigrates with his family to Bogotá, hoping for a better life. To make ends meet, he gets a job with Sergeant Park in the Korean trading community. A job smuggling clothes becomes his test of courage. Starring Song Joong-ki, Lee Hee-joon, and Kwon Hae-hyo, directed by Kim Seong-je.
Why it's on this listAn unusual setting for a Korean film: Song Joong-ki tries to make his fortune in Bogotá’s smuggling trade in the wake of the Asian financial crisis.
- 15
Mission: Cross크로스
What it's aboutPark Kang-moo was once a special forces agent; now he runs the household. His wife, Mi-seon, is a homicide detective who knows nothing about his past. When a former colleague asks for help finding a missing person, Kang-moo gets pulled into a dangerous mission—and soon Mi-seon is caught up in it too. Starring Hwang Jung-min, Yum Jung-ah, and Jeon Hye-jin, directed by Lee Myeong-hun.
Why it's on this listHwang Jung-min as a former agent and househusband, Yum Jung-ah as a cop who has no idea: an action comedy about a marriage full of secrets.
- 16
Harbin하얼빈
What it's aboutWinter 1909: Resistance fighter Ahn Jung-geun struggles back across the frozen Tumen River to rejoin his comrades, who distrust him after a mission with heavy losses. To win back their trust, he and a small group target Japanese statesman Itō Hirobumi, whose journey will take him to Harbin. Starring Hyun Bin, Park Jeong-min, Jo Woo-jin, and Jeon Yeo-been, directed by Woo Min-ho.
Why it's on this listHyun Bin won the 2025 Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actor for his role as independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun.
- 17
Devils Stay사흘
What it's aboutDuring the funeral for his daughter So-mi, cardiologist Cha Seung-do suspects that she’s still alive after an exorcism. He clashes with Father Ban Hae-sin, and each man wants to prove that only his faith can save the girl. A horror film by Hyun Moon-seop, starring Park Shin-yang, Lee Min-ki, and Lee Re. It marks Park Shin-yang’s first film role in eleven years.
Why it's on this listAfter an 11-year break from films, Park Shin-yang returned in 2024 as a father who clashes with a priest at his daughter’s memorial service.
- 18
Pilot파일럿
What it's aboutHan Jung-woo is a celebrated airline captain until a serious mistake costs him his job and no airline will hire him. To get back in the cockpit, he pretends to be his younger sister, Jung-mi, and applies under her name. A comedy by Kim Han-gyul, based on the 2012 Swedish film “Cockpit,” starring Jo Jung-suk, Lee Ju-myoung, and Han Sun-hwa.
Why it's on this listJo Jung-suk won the 2025 Baeksang Award for Best Actor in Film for playing a pilot who impersonates his own sister.
- 19
Wonderland원더랜드
What it's aboutWonderland is a service that lets people talk over video calls with loved ones they’ve lost, recreated by artificial intelligence. An archaeologist uses it to let her young daughter keep talking to her. A flight attendant stays in touch with her boyfriend, whom the AI portrays as an astronaut. Starring Tang Wei, Bae Suzy, Park Bo-gum, Jung Yu-mi, and Choi Woo-shik, directed by Kim Tae-yong.
Why it's on this listTang Wei, Bae Suzy, Park Bo-gum, and Choi Woo-shik star in an ensemble film about people who communicate with AI versions of their loved ones.
- 20
You Will Die in 6 Hours6시간 후 너는 죽는다
What it's aboutA stranger approaches Jung-yoon and claims she’ll die in six hours. To find out what’s behind the prediction, she follows a young man named Jun-woo, not knowing whether he wants to save her or put her in danger. A mystery thriller by Lee Yun-seok, based on a novel by Kazuaki Takano, starring Park Ju-hyun and NCT’s Jaehyun in his first film role.
Why it's on this listNCT’s Jaehyun made his film debut in this mystery thriller in 2024, and the film was sold to 76 countries.
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