View source for Korean horror


Korean horror films have existed since the early years of Korean cinema, but the genre experienced a resurgence in the late 1990s. Many Korean horror films focus on the suffering and anguish of characters rather than on explicit gore and violence.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lowry |first=Andrew |title=Slash and earn: the blood-soaked rise of South Korean cinema |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/mar/31/south-korean-cinema |work=The Guardian |date=2011-03-31 |access-date=}}</ref> Korean horror also employs motifs, themes, and imagery similar to those found in [[Japanese horror]].

Modern South Korean horror is often characterized by stylistic direction, social commentary, and genre blending.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fantastic Mode of Film |url=https://www.kofic.or.kr/kofic/business/rsch/findResearchView.do?seqNo=141 |website=Korean Film Council |date=December 2010 |access-date=}}</ref> The horror and [[Thriller film|thriller]] genres have played a significant role in attracting international attention to [[Cinema of South Korea|South Korean cinema]].

Several Korean horror films have been remade in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]], including ''[[Oldboy (2003 film)|Oldboy]]'' (2013), ''[[Into the Mirror]]'' (2003), and ''[[A Tale of Two Sisters]]'' (2003). More recent titles such as ''[[Train to Busan]]'' (2016) have been the subject of English-language adaptation discussions: an American project titled ''The Last Train to New York'' was announced, though as of mid-2025 it is described as a spin-off set in the same shared universe rather than a direct remake.<ref>{{cite news |last=Romano |first=Nick |title=James Wan says ‘The Last Train to New York’ ‘still a passion project,’ reveals connection to original |url=https://ew.com/james-wan-reveals-the-last-train-to-new-york-connection-to-busan-11762135 |work=Entertainment Weekly |date=2025-06-26 |access-date=}}</ref> Additionally, acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook is developing an English-language TV adaptation of ''Oldboy'' with Lionsgate Television.<ref>{{cite news |title=Oldboy television adaptation in the works from Park Chan-wook |url=https://ew.com/oldboy-tv-series-park-chan-wook-developing-8634910 |work=Entertainment Weekly |date=2024-04-17 |access-date=}}</ref>

==The female ghost==
According to the Korean expression [[Han (cultural)|Han]], "When a woman is full of resentment, she will bring frost in May and June" and this may explain the popularity of the female ghost that is often featured in Korean horror films. Her deep feeling of resentment is supposed to be cold enough to freeze the hot air that occurs during those months. The woman's vengeance is a thing to be feared, thus becoming the object of horror. In the past women have been oppressed and ignored for so long that the horrific rage and vengeance we see in the films have been brought upon by the many years of repression.<ref>[http://asiancorrespondent.com/korea-beat/-p-5003 "Why Do Korean Horror Movies Have Only Female Ghosts?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104150849/http://asiancorrespondent.com/korea-beat/-p-5003 |date=2010-11-04 }} ''Asian Correspondent''. Accessed Dec 2010.</ref> Another belief is that when a woman dies before she gets to enjoy the pleasures of marriage and having children, she will not be able to move on to the "other side". Instead, she becomes trapped between the two worlds and causes horrific phenomena.<ref>[https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/attach/6FantasticModeofFilm.pdf "Fantastic Mode of Film"] ''Korean Film Council''. p.8. Accessed Dec 2010.</ref> The hierarchical domestic status a man's mother has and the often strained relationship with her daughtera-in-law in Korea is also used as a means of creating female villains in media. Films such as ''[[A Devilish Homicide]]'' (1965) and ''[[The Hole (1997 film)|The Hole]]'' (1997) cast a murderous or cruel mother-in-law against the protagonist.

== Revenge ==
South Korean cinema is known for violent thrillers with themes of revenge like ''[[Bedevilled (2010 film)|Bedevilled]]'', ''[[I Saw the Devil]]'' (2010) and ''[[The Vengeance Trilogy]]''. Recent revenge films also tend to follow the characters seeking revenge rather than the protagonist being a victim of a vengeful ghost or person. The desire to create and see films about revenge is often explained as a result of social anger built up in a populace by South Korea's turbulent history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2011/mar/31/south-korean-cinema-blood-saw-devil|title=Slash and earn: the blood-soaked rise of South Korean cinema|last=Andrew Lowry|date=2011-03-31|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-11-17}}</ref> [[Park Chan-wook]], director of ''[[The Vengeance Trilogy]]'', has said that his revenge-motivated movies serve as a reaction to Korean culture's traditional value of peacemaking and forgiveness.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://moodle.smith.edu/pluginfile.php/449168/mod_resource/content/1/Mr%20Vengeance%20%28Ian%20Buruma%29.pdf|title=Mr. Vengeance|last=Burama|first=Ian|date=April 9, 2006|work=The New York Times Magazine|access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>

==2010 Korean Horror Film Festival==
The 2010 Korean Horror Film Festival was held in Mandaluyong in the Philippines at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall from October 27–31 and through November 2–4. It worked together with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, The Korean-Philippine Foundation, Inc. and Shangri-La Plaza. With free admission attendees were treated to some of the best and highly successful Korean horror films. Films such as ''[[Arang (film)|Arang]]'', ''[[The Red Shoes (2005 film)|The Red Shoes]]'', ''[[M (2007 film)|M]]'', ''[[Hansel and Gretel (2007 film)|Hansel and Gretel]]'', ''Ghost'', ''[[Paradise Murdered]]'', and ''[[Epitaph (2007 film)|Epitaph]]'' were among the films showcased.<ref>[http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/artsandbooks/artsandbooks/view/20101025-299543/Shang_Cineplex_hosts_2010_Korean_Horror_Movie_Festival "Shang Cineplex hosts 2010 Korean Horror Movie Festival"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304083012/http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/artsandbooks/artsandbooks/view/20101025-299543/Shang_Cineplex_hosts_2010_Korean_Horror_Movie_Festival |date=2012-03-04 }}. ''Inquirer LifeStyle'' Archived 25 October 2010, Accessed December 2010.</ref>

==Influential Korean horror films==
''[[The Housemaid (1960 film)|The Housemaid]]'' (1960) has been described in Koreanfilm.org as a "consensus pick as one of the top three Korean films of all time".

''[[Whispering Corridors]]'' (1998) is seen as the film to have sparked the explosion of the Korean horror genre. It centers on the theme of school girls and the mysterious "other side", but also offered criticism of the Korean school system. Four more distinct horror films set in all-girls schools were made as part of [[Whispering Corridors (film series)]].

''[[A Tale of Two Sisters]]'' (2003) is the highest-grossing Korean horror film so far and the first to be screened in America. It was remade in America in 2009 as ''[[The Uninvited (2009 film)|The Uninvited]]''. Based on a [[Folklore|folk tale]] titled ''Janghwa Hongryeon jeon'', it tells the story of two sisters dealing with a controlling stepmother and a passive father.

''[[Save the Green Planet!]]'' (2003) demonstrates Korean cinema's ability to blend genre in non-traditional ways. The film follows an unstable man who kidnaps and tortures an executive he believes to be an alien. It combines slapstick comedy, psychological thriller, and sci-fi horror.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2005/04/for-all-mankind-jang-jun-hwans-save-the-green-planet-78286/|title=For All Mankind: Jang Jun-hwan’s "Save the Green Planet"|last=Indiewire|date=2005-04-19|work=IndieWire|access-date=2018-11-17|language=en-US}}</ref>

''[[Someone Behind You]]'' (2007) is an extremely violent supernatural thriller based on the 2005 comic novel "Two Will Come" by Kang-Kyung-Ok. It focuses on an increasingly escalating unprecedented family murders or the issue of [[Familicide|family annihilation]]. A young woman witnesses the shocking killings around her area and she too is followed by an unexplainable-yet brutal and bloody curse. She fears that her family and friends are out to put her to death in their murderous hands.
A strange menacing student warns her not to trust her family, friends, even not herself.
In 2009 the film was released in America under the title "Voices" it premiered at the defunct film festival [[After Dark Horrorfest]].

''[[Train to Busan]]'' (2016) is an action horror take on the Zombie apocalypse. A man and his young daughter journey to see the girl's mother when a zombie outbreak occurs, forcing the passengers to attempt to survive till they can reach a safe zone in Busan. The film is one of the most internationally successful films from South Korea and broke domestic box office records.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/korea-box-office-train-to-busan-smashes-records-1201821937/|title=Korea Box Office: Runaway 'Train to Busan' Smashes Records|last=Kil|first=Sonia|date=2016-07-25|work=Variety|access-date=2018-11-17|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117104931/https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/korea-box-office-train-to-busan-smashes-records-1201821937/|archive-date=2018-11-17|url-status=live}}</ref>

Films such as ''[[Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum]]'' (2018) have brought Korean horror films even more international attention.

==List of notable films==

{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ''[[0.0 MHz]]''
* ''[[301, 302]]''
* ''4 Horror Tales'' (''Series'')
** ''[[February 29 (film)|February 29]]''
** ''[[Forbidden Floor]]''
** ''[[Roommates (2006 Korean film)|Roommates]]''
** ''[[Dark Forest (film)|Dark Forest]]''
* ''[[The 8th Night]]''
* ''[[Acacia (film)|Acacia]]''
* ''[[Alive (2020 film)|Alive]]''
* ''[[Antarctic Journal]]''
* ''[[APT (film)|APT]]''
* ''[[Arang (film)|Arang]]''
* ''[[Bloody Beach]]''
* ''[[Bloody Reunion]]''
* ''[[Black House (film)|Black House]]''
* ''[[Bunshinsaba (2004 film)|Bunshinsaba]]''
* ''[[The Cat (2011 film)|The Cat]]''
* ''[[Cello (2005 film)|Cello]]''
* ''[[Cinderella (2006 film)|Cinderella]]''
* ''[[The Closet (2020 film)|The Closet]]''
* ''[[The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey]]''
* ''Death Bell'' (''Series'')
** ''[[Death Bell|Death Bell 1: The Movie]]''
** ''[[Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp]]''
* ''[[Dead Friend]]''
* ''[[The Divine Fury]]''
* ''[[Doll Master]]''
* ''[[Don't Click (2012 film)|Don't Click]]''
* ''[[Epitaph (2007 film)|Epitaph]]''
* ''[[Evil Twin (film)|Evil Twin]]''
* ''[[Exhuma]]''
* ''[[Face (2004 film)|Face]]''
* ''[[A Ghost Story of Joseon Dynasty]]''
* ''[[Ghost House (2004 film)|Ghost House]]''
* ''[[Ghost Train (2025 film)|Ghost Train]]''
* ''[[Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum]]''
* ''[[Guimoon: The Lightless Door]]''
* ''[[Hansel and Gretel (2007 film)|Hansel and Gretel]]''
* ''The Haunted House'' (''Series'')
** ''[[The Haunted House: The Secret of the Cave]]''
** ''[[The Haunted House: The Sky Goblin VS Jormungandr]]''
** ''[[The Haunted House: The Dimensional Goblin and the Seven Worlds]]''
* ''Horror Stories'' (''Series'')
** ''[[Horror Stories (film)|Horror Stories]]''
** ''[[Horror Stories 2]]''
** ''[[Horror Stories 3]]''
* ''[[The Host (2006 film)|The Host]]''
* ''[[I Saw the Devil]]''
* ''[[Into the Mirror]]''
* ''[[The Isle]]''
* ''[[Killer Toon]]''
* ''[[Lingering (film)|Lingering]]''
* ''[[Loner (film)|Loner]]''
* ''[[Manhole (2014 film)|Manhole]]''
* ''[[Metamorphosis (2019 South Korean film)|Metamorphosis]]''
* ''[[The Medium (2021 film)|The Medium]]''
* ''[[Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater]]''
* ''[[The Mimic (2017 film)|The Mimic]]''
* ''[[Mourning Grave]]''
* ''[[Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait]]''
* ''[[Oh! My Ghost]]''
* ''[[Paradise Murdered]]''
* ''[[Phone (film)|Phone]]''
* ''The Puppet''
* ''[[The Quiet Family]]''
* ''[[R-Point]]''
* ''[[The Record (film)|The Record]]''
* ''[[Red Eye (2005 South Korean film)|Red Eye]]''
* ''[[The Red Shoes (2005 film)|The Red Shoes]]''
* ''[[The Ring Virus]]''
* ''[[Say Yes (film)|Say Yes]]''
* ''[[Show Me the Ghost]]''
* ''[[Sleep (2023 film)|Sleep]]''
* ''[[Someone Behind You]]''
* ''[[Sorum]]''
* ''[[Spider Forest]]''
* ''[[Suddenly at Midnight]]''
* ''[[Svaha: The Sixth Finger]]''
* ''[[A Tale of Two Sisters]]''
* ''[[Tell Me Something (film)|Tell Me Something]]''
* ''[[Thirst (2009 film)|Thirst]]''
* ''Three'' (''Series'')
** ''[[Three (2002 film)|Three... The Movie]]''
** ''[[Three... Extremes]]''
* ''[[To Sir, with Love (2006 film)|To Sir, with Love]]''
* ''Train to Busan'' (''Series'')
** ''[[Seoul Station (film)|Seoul Station]]''
** ''[[Train to Busan]]''
** ''[[Peninsula (film)|Peninsula]]''
* ''[[Unborn But Forgotten]]''
* ''[[The Uninvited (2003 film)|The Uninvited]]''
* ''[[Urban Myths (film)|Urban Myths]]''
* ''[[The Wailing (2016 film)|The Wailing]]''
* ''[[Warning: Do Not Play]]''
* ''[[Whispering Corridors (film series)|Whispering Corridors]]'' (''Series'')
** ''[[Whispering Corridors|Whispering Corridors 1: The Movie]]''
** ''[[Memento Mori (film)|Whispering Corridors 2: Memento Mori]]''
** ''[[Wishing Stairs|Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing Stairs]]''
** ''[[Voice (2005 film)|Whispering Corridors 4: Voice]]''
** ''[[A Blood Pledge|Whispering Corridors 5: A Blood Pledge]]''
** ''Whispering Corridors 6: The Humming''
* ''[[White: Melody of Death]]''
* ''[[The Wig]]''
* ''The Witch'' (''Series'')
** ''[[The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion]]''
** ''[[The Witch: Part 2. The Other One]]''
* ''[[The Wrath]]''
* ''[[Yoga Hakwon|Yoga]]''

{{div col end}}

==Korean horror directors==
* [[Ahn Byeong-ki]] – director of the horror films ''[[Nightmare (2000 film)|Nightmare]]'', ''[[Phone (film)|Phone]]'', ''[[Bunshinsaba (2004 film)|Bunshinsaba]]'', and ''[[APT (film)|APT]]''
* [[Bong Joon-ho]] – director of the horror film ''[[The Host (2006 film)|The Host]]'' and writer of ''[[Antarctic Journal]]''
* Kim Dong-bin – director of the horror films ''[[The Ring Virus]]'' and ''[[Red Eye (2005 South Korean film)|Red Eye]]''
* [[Kim Jee-woon]] – director of the horror films ''[[A Tale of Two Sisters]]'', ''[[Three (2002 film)|Three]]'' (the segment "Memories"), and ''[[The Quiet Family]]''
* [[Kong Su-chang]] – director of the horror films ''[[Tell Me Something (film)|Tell Me Something]]'', ''[[R-Point]]'', and ''[[Death Bell]]''
* Park Ki-hyung – director of the horror films ''[[Whispering Corridors]]'' and ''[[Acacia (film)|Acacia]]''
* [[Park Hoon-jung]] – director of The Witch (Series)
* Yu Seon-dong – director of the film ''[[Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp]]''

==See also==
*[[Korean science fiction]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101031013947/http://www.pinaymommyadreamer.com/2010/10/2010-korean-horror-film-festival-at.html 2010 Korean Horror Film Festival at Shangri-la Cineplex]
* [http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/ KoreanFilm.org]
* https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-korean-horror-movies/

{{Horror fiction}}
{{Cinema of Korea}}
{{Film genres}}

[[Category:Korean horror fiction| ]]
[[Category:South Korean horror films|*]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Korean horror|access_date=2026-02-23}}