10 New & Must-Watch Korean Movies of 2024

In Kim Hee Jin's first film as a director, we follow the touching story of Loh Kiwan (Song Joong Ki). Kiwan is a young man from North Korea trying to make a new life in Belgium.

Kiwan and his mom, Ok Hee (Kim Sung Ryung), escape from North Korea to China. But life is hard there, and they always fear being sent back or mistreated. Then, on Kiwan's birthday, something really sad happens.

Kiwan is bringing an umbrella to his mom when the police find them. A truck hits Ok Hee as she tries to save Kiwan, and she dies. Kiwan is heartbroken but remembers his mom's wish for him to go to Belgium for a new start.

In Belgium, Kiwan has to learn a new language and find a job. He meets Marie (Choi Sung Eun), a Korean woman who is now a Belgian citizen. Marie's life feels empty, unlike Kiwan's, who's there with a purpose. They don't hit it off at first, but slowly, something special starts to grow between them.

In late February, "Exhuma" was predicted to be the highest grossing Korean movie of 2024, with fantastic earnings. This horror thriller tells the story of a wealthy family in Los Angeles who are terrorised by supernatural events, with their baby becoming the target of evil forces, putting the child's safety at risk.

Two talented young shamans, Hwa Rim (Kim Go Eun) and Bong Gil (Lee Do Hyun), become the family's last hope. Hwa Rim senses that the evil force haunting the family comes from their ancestors, known as the "Grave Calling" curse.

Seeking help, Hwa Rim asks the help of a geomancer named Sang Deok (Choi Min Shik) and an experienced funeral director, Yeong Geun (Yoo Hae Jin), to solve this supernatural issue. Together, they propose a bold plan to appease the spirits by digging up the graves of family ancestors.

However, the grave is located in a remote Korean village, and as they begin the excavation, they unknowingly open the gateway to evil forces that have been buried for centuries.

Badland Hunters, starring Ma Dong Seok, is the exciting sequel to Concrete Utopia. Both movies are set in a world that's been wrecked by a nuclear war. Seoul is now just a big, empty desert that's really hard to live in.

What's worse, people are struggling to find clean water. They're doing their best, cleaning dirty water and trading stuff just to get by.

In one part of this tough world, there's a rumor about a group searching for an 18-year-old girl. They find Su Na and her grandma and promise them a better life in the city center. But things go wrong fast. On their way, Su Na gets separated from her grandma, who is sadly killed. Su Na ends up in a hospital.

Luckily, two of Su Na's neighbors from her district, Nam San and Ji Wan, see that something's not right. They're so brave and then decide to rescue Su Na. It's not going to be easy, though. They face a lot of challenges, including fighting weird mutants. But they're determined, and they finally uncover the dark secret of the hospital where Su Na is being held. It's a story full of suspense and action!

"Alienoid: Return to the Future," as you can guess from the title, is all about a thrilling race against time. The heroes have to stop an alien invasion that could wipe out all of humanity. The aliens want to release Haava, a toxic gas from their planet, on Earth, which would be disastrous for our planet.

The key to saving Earth is a special weapon called the Divine Blade. A group of Taoists from ancient Goryeo (a period in Korean history) somehow time-travel to the future. They're on a mission to fight against humans who are under the control of these mean aliens.

This group is awesome. There's Thunder, a secret agent watching over alien prisoners; Lee An, a swordsman from Goryeo who prefers to fight with a gun; and Mureuk, a bit of a clumsy swordsman who, surprisingly, is hosting "The Controller," one of the evil aliens in his body.

They get help from Min Kae In, a regular government worker. Just like the first movie, "Alienoid: Return to the Future" mixes action and comedy, and it's got some amazing CGI that's a treat for the eyes. It's a fun, action-packed adventure with a twist of time travel!

Looking for a fun movie to watch this weekend? Check out "Single in Seoul," a romantic comedy from South Korea. Directed by Park Beom Soo and starring Lee Dong Wook and Im Soo Jung, it's a story about an unlikely pair – a loner influencer and a carefree publisher.

The influencer, Park Yeong Ho (Lee Dong Wook), writes about his boring life and his experiences with love in a book titled "Single in Seoul." Joo Hyeon Jin (Im Soo Jung) is the publisher who reluctantly decides to publish his book, even though she thinks it's a bit silly.

But as the book goes to print, something funny happens. Yeong Ho and Hyeon Jin have to keep meeting because of the book. These meetings start to change the way they feel about each other. Will the loner and the social butterfly be able to make their relationship work? It's a sweet and funny story that's perfect for a relaxing weekend watch!

Detective Won Ho (Cho Jin Woong) is on a mission to find and arrest the leader of Asia's largest drug syndicate, known only as Mr. Lee. His next clue leads him to Rak (Oh Seung Hoon), a former drug dealer and member of Mr. Lee's gang. But even Rak doesn't know who Mr. Lee really is.

Rak is also on his own mission to figure out Mr. Lee's identity. He's tracking the activities of Big Knife, a drug boss from China, played by Han Hyo Joo. Rak thinks Big Knife can help him get to Mr. Lee. How will this pursuit end? Will Detective Won Ho and Rak manage to reveal who Mr. Lee is?

To fully enjoy this movie, it's best to watch the first part, 'Believer.' This 114-minute sequel isn't just connected by its story; it also brings back the same cast from the first movie.

The movie is about two friends, Hae Sung (Im Min Seung) and Na Young (Moon Seung Ah), who got separated when they were 12 because Na Young moved to Canada with her family. They had been close since elementary school and liked each other. But after Na Young moved away, they both moved on with their lives.

Na Young changes her name to Nora Moon (played by Greta Lee) in Canada and grows up to be a mature woman. She goes to college in New York, while Hae Sung finishes his military service.

Later on, Nora and Hae Sung find each other again on Facebook. They start to remember their old feelings and talk a lot through messages and video calls. But they can't meet up because they're busy chasing their dreams. So, they decide to stop talking to each other.

After 20 years, Hae Sung goes to New York to see Nora and her new life. Their meeting brings back a lot of old memories. The movie makes you wonder: will this meeting bring them back together?

Yeon Gyu (Hong Xa Bin), a teenager who has just turned 18, faces a series of intense struggles. Yeon Gyu lives with his biological mother, his stepfather, and half-sister. At home, he suffers physical abuse from his stepfather and receives no support from his mother. His only ally is his younger half-sister, Ha Yan (Auntie), who cares for and stands by him.

Yeon Gyu dreams of escaping with his mother and half-sister, but to do so, he needs to work hard and save money. In his quest, he becomes entangled with a criminal gang led by Chi Geon (Song Joong Ki). Chi Geon begins to trust Yeon Gyu, giving his various 'jobs' within the gang. These tasks, however, only complicate his efforts to achieve his dream, as he becomes increasingly involved with the group of thugs.

Hong Xa Bin's debut film presents a somber narrative, where the main character, Chi Geon, confronts a relentless series of challenges, casting a shadow of despair over his life. Can Chi Geon break free from the thug group and successfully flee with his mother and half-sister?

Persona: Sulli is a film divided into two parts. The first is a short film titled 4: Clean Island, and the second is a documentary called Dear Jinri, which debuted at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival. The film's release was initially postponed due to Sulli's tragic passing in October 2019.

Dear Jinri delves into the life of the late Sulli, a celebrated K-Pop star who began her career in South Korea's entertainment industry as a child. Known by her stage name Sulli, she was a member of the girl group f(x) under SM Entertainment and was not only talented in music but also skilled in acting.

The documentary adopts an interview format and includes Sulli's last recorded interview before her untimely death. It explores the emotional experiences of Sulli, revealing the challenges she faced with her mental health, which contrasted with her successful on-screen persona.

Through this film, viewers get to see Sulli from her own perspective, as an individual beyond her identity as a K-pop icon. It offers a glimpse into her personal life and struggles within the entertainment industry, allowing the audience to gain a deeper understanding of Sulli's journey.

Brave Citizen is about everyday stuff that happens a lot, especially in schools. It's about So Sin Min (Shin Hye Sun), who used to be a boxing athlete and is now a high school teacher. She's not a permanent teacher yet, but she really wants to be one. To reach her goal, she's been ignoring some unfair things happening at the school, just focusing on getting that full-time teaching job.

But then there's this student, Han Soo Kang (Lee Jun Young), who keeps causing trouble by bullying others. This really upsets So Sin Min. So, she decides to do something about it in a unique way - she starts wearing a cat mask.

The story is based on a webtoon with the same name. It's got important lessons but tells them in a fun and easy-to-follow way. What will So Sin Min do about the bully, Han Soo Kang? And will she be able to go from being a boxer to a full-time teacher?