Here are 10 high-scoring films that are widely regarded as the pinnacle of Korean cinema and that have won the hearts of countless audiences not only domestically but internationally.
1, "Shiwei Island".
is an action movie directed by Kang Youshuo and starring Xue Jingqiu, Ahn Sung-ki, and Jung Jae-young. The film recreates the beginning and end of the "Silmi Island Riots" that occurred in March 1971. The film was released in South Korea on December 24, 2003, and the number of viewers exceeded 10 million in 58 days of release, making it the first film in Korean film history to exceed 10 million viewers. The film won the Best Film Award at the 25th South Korean Blue Dragon Film Awards, and Kang Woo-seok won the Best Director Award.
2, "Mogadishu".
is a drama action movie starring Kim Yoon-seok, Cho In-sung, etc. Escape is a film about the escape of the public relations staff of the Korean and North Korean embassies who were isolated during the Somali civil war in the 90s. It is based on a true story that is unprecedented in the history of South Korean diplomacy.
3, "The Insider".
is a plot, action, and thriller movie starring Lee Byung-hun and Cho Seung-woo. "The Insider" is a crime action film that exposes corruption and unhealthy practices in Korean society through the experiences of conservative newspaper commentators, members of Congress, members of large corporations, ** gangsters, criminal police officers of the Intelligence Bureau, documentary photographers, etc. The role of Ahn Sang-gyu played by Lee Byung-hun in the film was originally a "hunting dog" who did bad things, but after he became a waster, he became a "political hooligan" who went to war against the power in order to take revenge. Played by Cho Seung-woo"Prosecutor Yu Changxun"In the corner, there is a blocker for corrupt politicians in the prosecutorial organization who let people kick people and cover up crimes. Baek Yoon-sik plays the capital's ** commentator Lee Qiang-hee.
4, "Young Grace".
is a plot, action, and sports film starring Yoo Ah-in and Kim Yoon-seok. The seventeen-year-old boy Yunde (played by Liu Yaren) should have spent the most carefree years. But in reality, there is only darkness and no light in the life of Wande. My father was a small disabled person, and my mother was a Filipino laborer she didn't meet until she was 17 years old, and she had to rely on handouts to make a living. With such a skill, there are no friends or love around, and you can only rely on your own fists to solve everything. The only one around him who doesn't play his cards according to common sense is his homeroom teacher and neighbor Dong-so (played by Kim Yoon-seok), Dong-so is verbose and long-winded, and at first he can't bear to see him as his number one enemy. But as some things unfolded, he gradually felt the love of Dong-so, and began to see the world in a different way, looking at the relatives around him, picking up hope and motivation in the darkness, and his dream was no longer so unattainable. The film has been nominated for several awards.
5, "Iron Rain".
is an action movie directed by Yang Woo-seok and starring Jung Woo-sung, Kwak Do-won, and Kim Ji-ho, which was released in South Korea on December 14, 2017. The film is adapted from the webtoon "Steel Rain" created by Yang Woo-seok, which tells the story of Yan Tie-woo, a North Korean soldier who escorted North Korea's No. 1 person to South Korea, and Kwak Chol-woo, a diplomatic security officer of South Korea's Blue House, who jointly prevented the outbreak of the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis during a coup d'état in North Korea.
6, "Lonely Courage**".
is a Korean action drama starring Won Bin and Kim Sae Run, and directed by Lee Jeong-fan. The film mainly tells the story of a man who lives an isolated life, and after knowing that the only girl he can open his heart to has been kidnapped, he will do whatever it takes to save her. The film was released in China on September 16, 2011. The film won many awards such as the Korean Daejong Award, the Blue Dragon Award, and the Baeksang Arts Awards, and was the highest-grossing film in Korea in 2010.
7, "Tai Chi Flag Flying".
is a war movie directed by Jiang Digui and co-starring Zhang Dongjian and Yuan Bin. The film is set against the backdrop of the Korean Peninsula War that broke out in 1950 and tells the tragic fate of a pair of brothers who are forced to go to war. The film was released in South Korea on February 5, 2004. The film won the Best Film Award at the 40th Baeksang Arts Awards in the Film Category.
8, "Yellow Sea".
is a drama, action, and crime film starring Ha Jung-woo and Kim Yoon-seok. In order to allow his wife to go to South Korea to work, taxi driver Jiu Nam (played by Ha Jung-woo Jeong-woo Ha) did not hesitate to borrow a huge sum of 60,000 yuan. His wife has not been heard from for six months, and Jiunan can only use alcohol and gambling every day to anesthetize his nerves. One day, under the introduction of the creditor, Jiunan met Mr. Mian. Mr. Mian was not only willing to help him smuggle him to South Korea to find his wife, but he was also willing to pay off all his debts on the condition that he kill someone in Seoul. After several twists and turns, Jiunan eventually crossed the Yellow Sea to Seoul, but it was not so easy to kill the closely guarded subject, and Jiunan began to inquire about his wife's whereabouts while embarking on a careful plan. The wife disappeared from the world as if there was no news, and Jiunan, who did not kill anyone, became a wanted suspect because he appeared at the scene of the murder. At this time, because he was afraid that the matter of *** would be exposed, Mr. Mian, who came from Yanbian, also tried his best to kill Jiunan, and Jiunan almost fell into a desperate situation......Ha Jung-woo won the Best Actor Award at the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards for this film.
9, "Horror Live".
is a crime suspense film directed and written by Kim Byung-woo and starring Ha Jung-woo, Lee Kyung-young, Jun Hye-jin and Kim So-jin, which was released in South Korea on July 31, 2013. The film focuses on a series of bomb horrors on the Han River in Seoul. Radio host Yoon Young-hwa received a threat from a mysterious listener during the show**, and after realizing that this person was likely to be the culprit of the Han River chain bomb terrorist incident, he intended to make the incident an exclusive live show that could turn his salted fish around, but the development of the incident was far beyond his imagination. With a production cost of 3.5 billion won, the film broke through the profit and loss threshold of 2 million people in just 6 days of release.
10, "New World".
is a South Korean crime gangster movie starring Choi Min-sik, Hwang Jung-min, and Lee Jung-jae, and directed by Park Hoon-jung. The film was released in South Korea on February 21, 2013. The film tells the story of "Golden Gate", the most powerful gang organization in South Korea, which continues to grow and develop. Section Chief Jiang of the Police Investigation Department arranged for rookie policeman Li Zicheng to infiltrate the "Golden Gate" undercover. Eight years later, Zicheng has sat in the second position in the organization and has become Zhengqing's right-hand man. The sudden death of the president of the "Golden Gate" and the imminent succession battle within the organization have led to a story of intrigue and betrayal between the police, undercover gangsters and gang bosses.
These pinnacles of Korean cinema have not only achieved great artistic success but also commercial success. They profoundly reflect the diversity and complexity of Korean society, while also demonstrating the deep understanding and unremitting pursuit of film art by Korean filmmakers. Whether it is a profound analysis of social issues or a delicate depiction of human nature, these films are worth our repeated ** and savoring.