By Korean action movies are known as some of the best action movies out there throughout the world. They often give the audiences intense dynamic storytelling, Hard-hitting action often filled with hand-to-hand fighting, wild shootouts and one can’t forget the blood-drenching fights. They can start from spy thrillers to revenge dramas, martial arts fights, and last but not least Historical epics.
The movies we feature here are taken from the best of the best action Korean movies you can find throughout the past and present. So before dwindling, let’s head straight into Action!
15 Best Korean Action Movies
Here is our personal selection of the Best Korean Action Movies that have stood out to us and movies that you absolutely should watch if you haven’t yet.
1. Shiri 1999
- Director: Kang Je-Kyu
- Writer: Kang Je-Kyu
- Casts: Han Suk-Kyu, Choi Min-sik, Yunjin Kim, Song Kang-ho, Johnny Kim, and others
- Genres: Action and Thriller
- Release Date: February 13, 1999
Synopsis Of Shiri 1999
The story takes us to a South Korean agent Ryu and Lee who are tracking female assassins from both Korea as they mysteriously disappear. As new killing and theft of a deadly bomb is on the know how time was running out to catch her. The movie headlines the controversial topic of Korean Unification.
2. The Man from Nowhere 2010
- Director: Lee Jeong-Beom
- Writer: Lee Jeong-Beom
- Casts: Won Bin, Kim Sae-Ron, Kim Tae-hoon, Kim Hee-won, Kim Sung-oh. and others
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Drama
- Release Date: August 5, 2010
Synopsis Of The Man from Nowhere 2010
The movie is about Cha Tae-sik who has a pawn shop and is leading a normal life at the place, but he gets drawn into a web of heavy conspiracy and violence when his friend So-mi’s mother steals a large pack of opium, when the drug dealer mobs go after them they find out Tae Siks past he might not be a man from just anywhere.
3. Train to Busan 2016
- Director: Yeon Sang-ho
- Writers: Joo-Suk Park and Yeon Sang-ho
- Casts: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Su-an, Kim Eui-Sung, and others
- Genres: Action, Horror, and Thriller
- Release Date: July 20, 2016
Synopsis Of Train to Busan 2016
A story set around a divorced father named Seok-woo who is boarding a train with his daughter Soo-an traveling from Seoul to Busan. But a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea leading to the survival struggle of the train passengers. The movie mostly focuses on the train as events fold.
4. The Villainess 2017
- Director: Jung Byung-gil
- Writers: Jung Byung-gil and Byeong-sik Jung
- Casts: Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-Kyun, Sung Jun, Kim Seo-Hyeong, Jo Eun-ji and others
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Drama
- Release Date: June 8, 2017
Synopsis Of The Villainess 2017
A story featuring a highly skilled Assassin Sook-hee who from an early age is taught to kill. She becomes a sleeper agent for South Korea’s Intelligence agency as she is promised to have freedom after 10 years of service. But as Two men knowing her past comes out there are secrets of her dark past that are coming out.
5. Oldboy 2003
- Director: Park Chan-wook
- Writers: Garon Tsuchiya, Nobuaki Minegishi, and Park Chan-wook
- Casts: Choi Min-Sik, Yoo Ji-Tae, Kang Hye-Jeong, Kim Byeong-Ok, Ji Dae-Han, and others.
- Genres: Action, Mystery, and Drama
- Release Date: November 21, 2003
Synopsis Of Oldboy 2003
Old Boy is an action thriller film Loosely adapted from the same name Japanese Manga. The story features Oh Dae-su who is imprisoned in a cell resembling a hotel room for 15 years without having any knowledge of his captor’s identity or even motifs. When he is finally released Dae-su finds out he is wrapped in a web of conspiracy and violence as he still pursues his captor for revenge.
6. Kill Boksoon 2023
- Director: Byun Sung-hyun
- Writer: Byun Sung- hyun
- Casts: Koo Kyo-hwan, Lee Jae-Wook, Wlyse Dinh, Jeon Do-Yeon, Hwang Jung-min, Esom, and others
- Genres: Action and Thrillers
- Release Date: March 31, 2023
Synopsis Of Kill Boksoon 2023
The movie Features Gil Bok-Soon, a Contract Killer working for M. K. Ent. highly valued by her peers for having a 100% Success rate. Bok-Soon is also a single mother to Jae-yeong. Jae-yeong is a closeted Lesbian teenager currently studying at a prestigious private school. The movie follows Bok-soon giving the audience Intense and satisfying complexity-filled story telling.
7. Veteran 2015
- Director: Ryu Seung-wan
- Writer: Ryu Seung-wan
- Casts: Hwang Jung-min, Yoo Ah-in, Yoo Hae-jin, Oh Dal-Su, Jang Yoon-ju and others
- Genres: Action, Comedy, and Crime
- Release Date: August 5, 2015
Synopsis Of Veteran 2015
The 5th all-time highest-grossing film in South Korean cinema history. Seo Do-cheol a Detective following the investigation of the suicide truck driver Bae. He finds out that Jo Tae-oh the third Generation heir to the powerful Sinjin Group of Conglomerates has assaulted Bae. On the other hand Tae-oh tries to stop the detective using all means possible but even with the obstacles, Do-Cheol and his team find the evidence leading to the eventual arrest.
8. Steel Rain 2017
- Director: Woo-seok Yang
- Writers: Ha-Yong Jung and Woo-seok Yang
- Casts: Jung Woo-sung, Kwak Do-won, Kim Kap-su, Kim Eui-sung, Lee Kyoung-you and others
- Genres: Action, Drama, and Thriller
- Release Date: March 14, 2018
Synopsis Of Steel Rain 2017
A top agent is assigned in North Korea named Eom Cil-Woo. Assigned by the chief director Ri Tae-han of the reconnaissance General Bureau to assassinate the Supreme Guard commander Chief and the minister of state security so as to prevent a coup d’etat. The Movie’s plot thickens as bigger political events also occur on the other hand Eom on his mission starts to face many more challenges.
9. Confession of Murder 2012
- Director: Jung Byung-gil
- Writers: Jung Byung-gil, Won-Chan Hong, and Dong-Kyu Kim
- Casts: Jeong Jae-yeong, Park Shi-hoo, Jung Hae-Kyun, Kim Yeong-ae, Choi Won-young and others
- Genres: Action, Crime and Thriller
- Release Date: November 8, 2012
Synopsis Of Confession of Murder 2012
In 1990 Choi Hyeong-goo a detective hunts a serial killer who has murdered 10 women since 1986. Choi also thinks that he is also responsible for another kidnapping. After a deadly fight leaves Choi nearly dead and scarred for life, The killer escapes just as Choi shoots him in the shoulder.
As 15 years passed from then in 2005 the expiration date for the statute of Limitations approached meaning prosecution will be impossible, by then Choi was an alcoholic haunted by his failure of the past. Two years later A man called Lee Doo-seok released a book named I am the Murderer thus claiming responsibility for the 10 murders.
10. The Admiral: Roaring Currents 2014
- Director: Han-min Kim
- Writers: Cheol-Hing Jeon and Min Kim
- Casts: Choi Min-sik, Ryu Seung-ryong, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Myung-gon, Jin Goo, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Jung-hyun and others
- Genres: Action, Drama, and History
- Release Date: July 30, 2014
Synopsis Of The Admiral: Roaring Currents 2014
An Epic historical war film that mainly follows the famous 1597 battle of Myeongryang during the Japanese invasion of Korea. The movie features the battle at their base in Haenam, the Japanese invaders are confident that their planned expedition will be a success and that they could capture King Seonjo. However, The comeback of the retired Admiral known to all could be the greatest changer of the tide of this war.
11. The Outlaws 2017
- Director: Yunsung kang
- Writer: Yunsung Kang
- Casts: Ma Dong-Seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Jo Jae-Yoon, Choi Gwi-hwa, Yoon Byung-hee, Heo Dong-won, and others
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Thriller
- Release Date: October 6, 2017
Synopsis Of The Outlaws 2017
A South Korean Action Film Set up around Detective Ma Seok-do. he was trying to control the gang wars between Chinese-Korean gangs but also dealing with a brutal loan shark Jang-chen. This bloody film has many fight scenes that will shake you to the core and is loosely based on real-life events.
12. Ballerina 2023
- Director: Chung-Hyun Lee
- Writer: Chung-Hyun Lee
- Casts: Jeon Jong-Seo, Kim Ji-hoon, Park Yu-rim, Shin Se-hai, Kim Mu-yeol, and others
- Genres: Action and Thriller
- Release Date: October 6, 2023
Synopsis Of Ballerina 2023
A Brutal action film featuring a Former Bodyguard for VIP clients Jang Ok-ju. When Ok-ju finds out there her best friend Choi Min-hee has died, she also finds out Min-hee’s dying wish. It was to finish a sex trafficker Choi Pro who had victimized her by filming her and extorting money blackmailing her with the video. Even as Ok-ju Finds Choi to finish her best friend’s dying wish, After luring Choi to the motel Ok-ju fails to finish the job. As Ok-ju tries again with a high school student who wants to escape these traffickers, Ok-ju calls on an old friend and this time she plans to go all out on the whole gang.
13. Psychokinesis 2018
- Director: Yeon Sang-ho
- Writers: Seong-Woo Park and Yeon Sang-ho
- Casts: Ryu Seung-ryong, Shim Eun-kyung, Park Jeong-Min, Jung Yu-mi, Kang Deok- Joong and others
- Genres: Action Comedy, and Fantasy
- Release Date: April 25, 2018
Synopsis Of Psychokinesis 2018
A superhero film featuring a Bank Security guard Known as Seok-heon who undergoes change to gain his Telekinetic superpowers after drinking from a mountain spring affected by a meteor. Heon decides that he will use this power to save his estranged daughter from the neighborhood evil construction company leading to a violent clash with the Mob.
14. Revenger 2018
- Director: Lee Seung-won
- Writer: Bruce Khan
- Casts: Je-heon Choi, Park Chul-min, Kim Dae-hyun, Park Hee-soon, Makayla Rose Hilli, and others
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Thriller
- Release Date: January 15, 2019
Synopsis Of Revenger 2018
A thriller Action film featuring Kim Yool, a place Detective attempting to kill Mob boss Carlos Kun so he could avenge his family’s death. But Fate writes him off as he gets arrested and sent to the deadliest prison on an island called Sura Island. As Yool learns that Carlos, the receiver of his hatred is also serving here, Yool goes ahead to finish the job.
15. The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil 2019
- Director: Lee Won-tae
- Writer: Lee Won-tae
- Casts: Ma Dong-seok, Jeon Bae-soo, Kim Mu-yeol, Kim Sungkyu, Kim Gyu-ri and others
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Thriller
- Release Date: May 15, 2019
Synopsis of The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil 2019
A film where a gangster and cop join forces as they catch a serial killer but face challenges as they face off the enemies from their respective work. The gangster and the cop decide to team up even while working over these difficulties as they go after this mass murderer. Each of the main characters has their own want and needs from this assailant that they hoped to catch.
Conclusion To Our 15 Best Korean Action Movies List
Korean movies have a sense of action, violence blood, and intense storytelling that attracts many if not all. All the movies mentioned in this list are personally selected as some of the best action movies out there in the Korean Movies list. So I am sure these 15 Best Korean Movies listed here will satiate your action-crazed mind and pump you with adrenaline to no end! If you are interested in reading more list like this. Check the best 50 Hollywood movies of all time.
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