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The best South Korean action / crime / thrillers from the last 25 years.

by imseeg • Created 1 year ago • Modified 1 year ago
A list of the most superb Korean action / crime / thrillers.
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  • 21 titles
  • Oldboy (2003)

    1. Oldboy

    20032hR78Metascore
    8.3 (687K)
    After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.
    DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeong
  • Jeon Jong-seo in Ballerina (2023)

    2. Ballerina

    20231h 32mTV-MA
    6.3 (17K)
    Grieving the loss of a best friend she couldn't protect, an ex-bodyguard sets out to fulfill her dear friend's last wish: sweet revenge.
    DirectorChung-Hyun LeeStarsJeon Jong-seoKim Ji-hoonPark Yu-rim
  • Ahn Jae-hong, Lee Je-hoon, Park Jeong-min, and Choi Woo-sik in Time to Hunt (2020)

    3. Time to Hunt

    20202h 14mTV-MA
    6.3 (7.4K)
    In the near future, a financial crisis will hit Korea and slums arise. From those areas, a group of young people commit crime to survive.
    DirectorYoon SunghyunStarsLee Je-hoonAhn Jae-hongChoi Woo-sik
  • Jung Woo-sung, Hwang Jung-min, Ju Ji-hoon, Jeong Man-sik, and Kwak Do-won in Asura (2016)

    4. Asura

    20162h 16mNot Rated64Metascore
    6.7 (3.6K)
    A shady cop finds himself in over his head when he gets caught between Internal Affairs and the city's corrupt mayor.
    DirectorSung Soo KimStarsJung Woo-sungHwang Jung-minJu Ji-hoon
  • Lee Sung-min, Choi Daniel, and Yoo Jae-myung in The Beast (2019)

    5. The Beast

    20192h 11m
    6.1 (1.7K)
    A criminal action movie about two detectives in conflict who solve a murder that shakes up the Korean peninsula.
    DirectorJung-Ho LeeStarsLee Sung-minYoo Jae-myungKim Dae-gon
  • 12.12: The Day (2023)

    6. 12.12: The Day

    20232h 21m
    7.6 (4.4K)
    Following the assassination of President Park in 1979, various military factions wrestle for control during a violent coup in this tense South Korean period action drama.
    DirectorSung Soo KimStarsHwang Jung-minJung Woo-sungLee Sung-min
  • Gang Dong-won in Illang: The Wolf Brigade (2018)

    7. Illang: The Wolf Brigade

    20182h 19mTV-MA
    5.9 (6K)
    Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political uprisings on opposing sides which grow fierce when a special police unit is formed to stop the chaos.
    DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsGang Dong-wonHan Hyo-jooJung Woo-sung
  • Lee Byung-hun in A Bittersweet Life (2005)

    8. A Bittersweet Life

    20051h 59mNot Rated
    7.5 (45K)
    Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't follow his boss's orders.
    DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunShin Min-aKim Yeong-cheol
  • Jung Woo-sung in A Man of Reason (2022)

    9. A Man of Reason

    20221h 39mTV-14
    5.8 (1.3K)
    After spending a decade in prison, a hitman learns that he has a daughter and just wants a chance at a normal life. But his former mob boss wants him back at any cost, sending merciless assassins after him.
    DirectorJung Woo-sungStarsJung Woo-sungKim Nam-gilKim Jun-han
  • Believer 2 (2023)

    10. Believer 2

    20231h 54mTV-MA
    5.6 (2.1K)
    A determined detective continues his search for the truth behind Asia's largest drug organization and its elusive boss he has unfinished business with.
    DirectorJong-Yeol BaekStarsKim Dong-youngAndreas FronkHan Hyo-joo
  • Believer (2018)

    11. Believer

    20181h 41mTV-14
    7.5 (958)
    Believer.
    DirectorDon ArgottStarsDan ReynoldsAja VolkmanBen McKee
  • Choi Min-sik, Lee Jung-jae, and Hwang Jung-min in New World (2013)

    12. New World

    20132h 15mNot Rated58Metascore
    7.5 (28K)
    An undercover cop finds it difficult to play both a cop and a goon.
    DirectorPark Hoon-jungStarsLee Jung-jaeChoi Min-sikHwang Jung-min
  • Deliver Us from Evil (2020)

    13. Deliver Us from Evil

    20201h 54m
    6.8 (7.1K)
    Hit-man In-Nam kills Japanese mobster, enraging vengeful brother. Ex-lover Young-joo pleads for help but dies, her daughter missing. In-Nam must decide: flee to Panama or search for girl? Paths may cross with mobster brother.
    DirectorHong Won-chanStarsHwang Jung-minLee Jung-jaePark Jeong-min
  • Hunt (2022)

    14. Hunt

    20222h 11mNot Rated55Metascore
    6.7 (6.6K)
    The International Unit and The Domestic Unit of the Korean Spy Agency are tasked with the mission of uncovering a North Korean Spy known as Donglim who is deeply embedded within their agency.
    DirectorLee Jung-jaeStarsLee Jung-jaeSong Young-changHeo Sung-tae
  • Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Jin-woong in A Hard Day (2014)

    15. A Hard Day

    20141h 51mNot Rated76Metascore
    7.2 (18K)
    After trying to cover up a car accident that left a man dead, a crooked homicide detective is stalked by a mysterious man claiming to have witnessed the event.
    DirectorKim Seong-hunStarsLee Sun-kyunCho Jin-woongJeong Man-sik
  • Lee Byung-hun, Ha Jung-woo, Jeon Hye-jin, Ma Dong-seok, and Bae Suzy in Ashfall (2019)

    16. Ashfall

    20192h 10mTV-14
    6.2 (6.8K)
    Stagnant since 1903, at an elevation of 2,744 m, a volcano erupts on the mythical and majestic Baekdu Mountain.
    DirectorsKim Byung-seoLee Hae-junStarsLee Byung-hunHa Jung-wooJeon Hye-jin
  • Ma Dong-seok and Kim Mu-yeol in The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019)

    17. The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil

    20191h 49mNot Rated65Metascore
    7.0 (30K)
    A crime boss teams up with a cop to track down a serial killer.
    DirectorLee Won-taeStarsMa Dong-seokKim Mu-yeolJeon Bae-soo
  • Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, Gong Yoo, and Han Ji-min in The Age of Shadows (2016)

    18. The Age of Shadows

    20162h 20mTV-MA78Metascore
    7.1 (12K)
    Korean resistance fighters smuggle explosives to destroy facilities controlled by Japanese forces in this period action thriller.
    DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunGong YooSong Kang-ho
  • Kim Su-an, Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Sohee, and Choi Woo-sik in Train to Busan (2016)

    19. Train to Busan

    20161h 58mNot Rated73Metascore
    7.6 (289K)
    While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.
    DirectorYeon Sang-hoStarsGong YooJung Yu-miMa Dong-seok
  • I Saw the Devil (2010)

    20. I Saw the Devil

    20102h 24mNot Rated67Metascore
    7.8 (158K)
    A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
    DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunChoi Min-sikJeon Gook-hwan
  • Lee Jung-hyun, Kwon Hae-hyo, Lee Ye-won, Gang Dong-won, Kim Min-jae, Koo Kyo-hwan, and Lee Re in Peninsula (2020)

    21. Peninsula

    20201h 56mNot Rated51Metascore
    5.5 (42K)
    A zombie virus has in the last four years spread to all South Korea. Four Koreans in Hong Kong sail through the blockade to Incheon for USD20,000,000 on a truck.
    DirectorYeon Sang-hoStarsNazeeh TarshaGang Dong-wonJohn D. Michaels

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