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#KajoPicks: 5 movies inspired by the Gwangju Uprising you should watch

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In 1980, South Korean president Chun Do-hwan’s military rule led to a confrontation in a city of Gwangju, the southern region of South Korea. The confrontation would later be known as the Gwangju Uprising, May 18 Gwangju Democratisation Movement or May 18 Democratic Uprising by UNESCO.

From May 18 to 27, 1980, Gwangju residents took up arms by robbing local armories and police stations.

The uprising started when local Chonnam University students started to demonstrate against the government’s martial law.

About 200 students gathered at the the gate of the university and were opposed by 30 paratroopers on the morning of May 18.

By evening, the government dispatched 686 soldiers to the scene as the conflict broadened to more than 2,000 protesters.

Witnesses reported the soldiers attacked both protesters and onlookers.

As the conflict escalated, the army started to fire on civilians, killing an unaccounted number on May 20.

The protesters then began to seize weapons from police stations and armories, then attacking the army.

By May 21, the soldiers left and citizens took over the city. On May 26, the army returned to retake the city. After less than two hours of operations, the army arrested 1,740 rioters.

Like many riots or protests around the world, there is no universally accepted number of the death toll during the Gwangju Uprising.

The official figures stand at 144 civilians, 22 troops and four policeman killed. However based on foreign press, the actual death toll could be up to 2,000.

After South Korean President Moon Jae-in took over office in May 2017, he vowed to investigate the government’s role during the Gwangju Uprising.

Later it was revealed for the first time that the army had used a helicopter to fire on civilians.

In 2018, the South Korean government formally apologised for the rape of women by troops during the Gwangju Uprising.

A formal investigation by the government confirmed there were 17 cases of sexual assault, including against teenagers and a pregnant woman.

The Gwangju Uprising definitely left a dark mark in South Korean history. According to Korea Resource Center, it ignited the floundering pro-democracy movement in Korea culminating in 1987 when the People’s Power movement finally broke the power of the South Korean military.

With a number of references and portrayal in popular culture, South Korea’s younger generation will not forget this piece of their history.

So here are KajoMag’s picks of five movies to watch inspired by the Gwangju Uprising:
1.26 Years (2012)

This movie is a fictional story circling around five ordinary people from different backgrounds who come together to kill the person behind the massacre during Gwangju Uprising.

26 years after the massacre in 2006, a sports shooter, a gangster, a policeman, a businessman and head of private security firm plot revenge against the man responsible.

Former president Chun Doo-hwan is believed to given the order to fire on civilians but he is not explicitly named in the movie.

However, the target clearly is referring to Chun.

The main three characters are Kwak Jin-bae (Jin Goo), a gangster who lost his father during the uprising, Shim Mi-jin (Han Hye-jin) a national team shooter and policeman Kwon Jung-kyuk (Im Seul-ong) who lost his family.

2.Peppermint Candy (1999)

After watching this movie, you will never forget the iconic opening scene when the main character Yong-ho faces an oncoming train, screaming “I want to go back again!”

As the movie starts with the suicide of Yong-ho, the story unfolds through flashbacks some of the important events over the past 20 years leading to his death.

Every event in his life coincides with some of the major incidents in South Korean history, including the Gwangju Uprising.

During his flashback to the uprising, Yong-ho is seen performing his mandatory military service. This is when he accidentally shoots and kills a student protester.

It also shows how he becomes traumatised by the shooting incident and later becomes a more brutal and cynical policeman.

Likewise, Yong-ho ends up losing his job in the 1990s, mirroring the real-life impact of the Asian financial crisis.

The movie explores different themes, including how it killed the innocence of those who pulled the triggers during the uprising.

Watch the trailer here.

3.Fork Lane (2017)
Fork Lane 2017

Similar to Peppermint Candy, Fork Lane (2017) follows the story of a soldier trying to cope with his life after Gwangju Uprising.

It tells the story of Kim Gang-il (Uhm Tae-woong), a paratrooper who was sent to suppress the protesters during the demonstration.

After his retirement, he works as a forklift driver. Eventually, he starts to uncover the truth from his past.

4.May 18 (2007)
May 18 film

Most of the protesters during the Gwangju Uprising were not part of the initial protest in front of the university but were acting in retaliation after their loved ones were attacked by the soldiers.

The main character, Min-woo (Kim Sang-kyung) leads a peaceful life with his younger brother Jin-woo (Lee Joon-gi) until the uprising happens.

Angry that his classmate is beaten to death by the military while they are not even college students, Jin-woo leads his friends into the streets to protest.

Meanwhile, Min-woo wants to stop his brother from taking part in the uprising.

This movie shows how the first attack on civilians on May 18 triggers other unassuming citizens to fight for what is right.

5.A Taxi Driver (2017)

While other movies inspired by the Gwangju Uprising are fictional, here is a movie that might be closest to the real event.

The story follows a taxi driver Man-seon (Song Kang-ho) who receives an offer to drive a foreign journalist from Seoul to Gwangju during the uprising.

The character is loosely based on real-life taxi driver Kim Sa-bok whose existence remained out of the public eye until the release of A Taxi Driver. He died of cancer in 1984, four years after the Gwangju events.

Meanwhile, the journalist Peter (Thomas Kretschmann) is based on the life Jurgen Hinzpeter (1937-2016) who filmed and reported on the Gwangju Uprising.

His widow, Edeltraut Brahmstaedt watched the movie with President Moon in 2017. The Blue House later released a statement saying, “The movie shows how a foreign reporter’s efforts contributed to Korea’s democratization, and President Moon saw the film to honor Hinzpeter in respect for what he did for the country.”

The film turned out to be a commercial success and was the second highest grossing film of 2017.

Watch the trailer here.

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8 must-watch movies inspired by the Korean Independence Movement

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The Korean Independence Movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Japan.

One of the earliest public displays of the resistance took place on March 1, 1919, widely known as The March 1st Movement.

On that day, 33 activists gathered to read out loud the Korean Declaration of Independence. The event subsequently brought together 2 million Koreans, participating in more than 1,500 demonstrations at various locations.

Historians believe The March 1st Movement provided a catalyst for the Korean Independence Movement.

Many Korean independence activists were executed during the resistance. It was only until the end of World War II that the Koreans gained their independence from the Japanese.

Known as Gwangbokjeol (literally translated as “the day the light returned”), the National Liberation Day of Korea is a public holiday celebrated annually on August 15.

It is notable, as it is the only Korean public holiday celebrated by both North and South Korea.

In North Korea, the day is known as Chogukhaebangui nal or “Liberation of the Fatherland Day”.

Over the years, South Korean movie makers have turned to Korean independence movement for inspiration.

Though they are not 100 per cent historically correct, the movies still manage to educate the younger generations about their history as well as to commemorate the sacrifices made by those before them.

For history buffs out there, here are 8 must-watch movies based on the Korean Independence Movement:
1.The Age of Shadows (2016)

Set in the late 1920s, this movie follows a group of Korean Independence Movement members trying to bring explosives into Shanghai to destroy key Japanese facilities in Seoul.

The key resistance figure is Kim Woo-jin (Gong Yoo) who uses his antique shop as a front to smuggle these explosives.

Meanwhile, Korean police captain Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang-ho) has been charged by the residing Japanese government with rooting out resistance members as he is known to sell out his own people to gain favour from the Japanese.

After Jung-chool’s former classmate Kim Jang-ok (Park Hee-soon) who is also a resistance fighter dies, he begins to doubts his loyalty to the Japanese.

So a cat and mouse game begins between the resistance fighters and the Japanese agents who are out to get them.

Watch the trailer here.

Korean Independence movement
Gong Yoo as a resistance figher in The Age of Shadows. Credits: Youtube
2.Assassination (2015)

After The March 1st Movement, many Korean resistance fighters were forced into exile in China.

This movie is set in the year 1933. It was when the resistance fighters in China were trying to organise a fight from .

They find that the highest commander of the Japanese army is going to visit Korea. Hence, they plot an assassination attempt.

However, the only sniper capable to do the job is Ahn Ok-yun (Jun Ji-hyun). She is serving her time in Shanghai prison.

Resistance fighter Yem Sek-jin (Lee Jung-jae) is assigned to rescue her from the prison. Little that the rest of the resistance members know that Sek-jin is a mole who secretly reporting to the Japanese.

Watch the trailer here.

3.The Battle: Roar to Victory (2019)

From June 6 to 7, 1920, a confrontation occurred between a Korean independence militia of 1,300 under the command of Hong Beom-do and a Japanese battalion consisting of 500 troops.

The fight is known as the Battle of Fengwudong or Battle of Bongo-dong.

Inspired by this event, the movie centers around resistance fighter Hwang Hae-cheol (Yoo Hae-jin) and his subordinate Byeong-gu (Jo Woo-jin).

Their main operation is to deliver funds to the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai.

During this operation, they reunite with Jang-ha (Rye Jun-yeoul) who has a secret mission.

Jang-ha has been assigned to bait the Japanese forces into Bongo-dong mountains where the battle eventually takes place.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Dongju, the Portrait of Poet (2016)

This film biopic is based on Yun Dong-ju. He was a Korean poet, imprisoned by the Japanese for his involvement in Korean Independence Movement.

Throughout his life, he wrote lyric and resistance poetry. He even chose 19 poems to publish in a collection called “Sky, Wind, Star and Poem”.

However, he was arrested as a communist supporter in 1943 and detained in Kyoto.

The following year, he was sentenced to two years in prison for having participated in the Korean Independence Movement.

Unfortunately, Dong-ju died in imprisonment in February 1945.

His poems were published posthumously and later known as resistance poems of the late occupation period.

In the movie, Kang Ha-neul gives one of his most impressive performances yet as the late poet.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Anarchist from the Colony (2017)

Park Yeol is a self-proclaimed anarchist and revolutionary activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea.

He attended high school in Seoul. However, he was forced to leave in 1919 due to his suspected participation in the March 1st Movement.

Later, he was convicted of high treason in Japan for conspiring an attack against Crown Prince Hirohito.

In the movie, he is portrayed by Lee Je-hoon while his girlfriend Fumiko Kaneko is portrayed by Choi Hee-seo.

Watch the trailer here.

6.A Resistance (2019)

One of the key figures in the March 1st Movement was a woman named Ryu Gwan-sun (also known as Yu Gwansun).

She was the organiser for the peaceful protest in the province of South Chungcheong.

Together with her family, Gwan-sun went door-to-door to encourage the public to join in the Korean Independence Movement.

She was subsequently arrested while her parents were killed by the Japanese military police.

Unfortunately, Gwan-sun died on Sept 28, 1920 from injuries she suffered from torture by the Japanese prison officers.

The movie follows the story of Gwan-sun (Go Ah-sung) as she fights for Korean independence even while in prison.

Watch the trailer here.

7.Mal–Mo–E: The Secret Mission (2019)

When Korea was under Japanese rule, the Korean language was banned in 1938 in favour of the Japanese language.

The movie centers around the real-life members of Korean Language Society who are secretly trying to publish a Korean language dictionary.

Founded in 1908 by Ju Si-gyeong, the society is a hangul and Korean language research group.

In 1942, more than 30 of their members were arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese and two later died in prison.

It stars Yoo Hae-jin as Kim Pan-soo. He is an illiterate who meets representatives of the Korean Language Society. Later, he joins the secret mission to publish the dictionary.

Watch the trailer here.

8.Spirit’s Homecoming (2016)

While this is not exactly a movie based on Korean Independence Movement, it is a film that shines light on the dark side of a Japanese occupied country.

Korean director Cho Jung-rae was so inspired by a painting by Kang Il-chul, he made this movie, dedicating it to all Comfort Women.

Ill-chul was a Comfort Woman, who was abused and forced into sex slavery by Japanese soldiers especially during World War II.

Set in 1943, the story focuses on Jung-min (Kang Ha-na) who is separated from her family by Japanese soldiers. They were shipped off in wagons for livestock to Manchuria and used as Comfort Women.

Together with Young-hee (Son Sook) and other girls in the brothel, they try to cope with their situations while plotting their escape.

The second part of the movie is how Young-hee lives as an elderly woman who is trying to make peace with her dark past.

Watch the trailer here.

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KajoPicks: 5 South Korean political movies to watch

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When it comes to political movies, the storylines can often be intense and thought-provoking. Additionally when it comes to its characters, there is usually an idealistic one who does not understand the dirty rules of politics.

Unfortunately, there are not many Asian film industries daring enough to come out with political dramas on their own.

The South Koreans however, have a number of political movies worth paying attention to.

Regardless of where you come from, these Korean political movies portray stories that hit close to home.

So here are five South Korean political movies to watch:
1.1987: When the Day Comes (2017)

A Korean political movie based on a true story? Then it must be on our KajoMag list! Set in 1987, the film centers on the events leading up to the June Democratic Uprising in South Korea.

From June 10 to 29, 1987, the South Korean people from all walks of life held mass protests, forcing the ruling government to accede to the wishes of the people and hold direct elections for President, and institute other democratic reforms which led to the establishment of the Sixth Republic, the present day government of South Korea.

Instead of focusing on one particular character, the focus of the story shifts between several characters to tell the story of how the political resistance come about.

The main characters include an unscrupulous commissioner, a prosecutor who refuses to be intimidated by government corruption, a democracy activist who works as a prison guard, a journalist and a lieutenant.

Each of these characters eventually play an important role in the political change which happened in the country in 1987.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Anarchist from Colony (2017)

Here is another Korean political movie based on a true story, in this case a real person. Park Yol (1902-1974) was a Korean anarchist and independence activist in the 1920s who was convicted of high treason in Japan for conspiring to attack the Imperial House of Japan.

The movie follows Lee Je-hoon as Park Yol who organises the anarchist group Heukdohoe during the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

Together with his lover Fumiko Kaneko (Choi Hee-seo), they plot a bomb attack upon Crown Prince Hirohito during his wedding.

Instead of focusing on plots and tactics, Anarchist from Colony (2017) gives viewers an idea of the differences of political beliefs during the Japanese occupation in South Korea which spanned from 1910 to 1945.

Back then, Park Yol was the poster boy for anarchism, an anti-authoritarian political philosophy that rejects hierarchies deemed unjust, and advocates their replacement with self-managed, self-governed societies based on voluntary, cooperative institutions.

Meanwhile, his lover Fumiko was a nihilist, a belief that rejected all authorities.

3.The King (2017)

In the world of politics, the one who silently holds a vital role is actually the prosecutor. In Malaysia, for example, the highest ranking public prosecutor is the Attorney General which is currently being held by Tan Sri Tommy Thomas. Besides being the principal legal adviser to the Malaysian government, the AG may institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for an offence.

The King (2017) focuses on Tae-soo (Jo In-sung) who decides to become a prosecutor believing that power is the most important thing in life.

He works his way up, joining a group of powerful prosecutors with wealth and authority. Soon, he learns that the world he enters is a food chain made of politicians, law enforcement, the media and even gangsters. But who will be on top of the hierarchy?

While In-sung’s character as Tae-soo is a sure draw for viewers, Jung Woo-sing who plays the villain Han Kang-shik is the reason you will be glued to the whole movie.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Inside Men (2015)
Korean political movies to watch
Lee Byung-hun playing the role of a gangster in Inside Men. Credits: IMDB

Having the press eating from the palm of your hand is the biggest advantage you can have as a politician.

Inside Men (2015) shows how an editor Lee Kang-hee (Baek Yoon-sik) is able to raise congressman Jang Pil-woo (Lee Geung-young) to the position of a leading presidential candidate using the power of the media.

In this film, double crossing in the world of politics is as common as brushing your teeth every morning.

So when a politician double-crosses a gangster as well as an ambitious prosecutor yearning to prove himself, then you have a game of revenge at the expense of the people’s future.

This Korean political thriller film has an interesting take on the unholy alliances between politicians, Korean conglomerates (chaebols), the press, prosecutors and mafia that who knows, might be happening in real-life.

5.The Mayor (2017)

This Korean political movie gives you the glimpse of the dirty tricks that could be played behind the scenes of an election.

Blackmailing, wiretapping, corruption, murder are all just part of the game when it comes to an election campaign in this movie.

Viewers can watch how far a political candidate would go to protect his public image in order to stay in office.

It is thrilling, frustrating and hair-pulling tense but you can’t turn away as the political dramas unfold.

Plus, if veteran actor Choi Min-sik is playing the leading role? Then it is a must-watch movie.

He brilliantly plays the role of Byeon Jong-gu, the incumbent mayor of Seoul who seeks a third term which will set him up for a run at the presidency.

Then you have the naive advertisement specialist Park Kyeong (Shim Eun-kyung) who represents perhaps every idealistic person involved in the political world.

Before you start binge-watching, we warn you; most Korean political movies are as close to reality as you can get, so you won’t have a happy ending.

Watch the trailer here.

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KajoPicks: 3 films based on the legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong

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When it comes to Thai folktales, one of the most famous stories is about the spirit of Nak, or Mae Nak Phra Khanong, which means Lady Nak of Phra Khanong.

Even after death, Nak tries to hold her family together. While her intention comes out of love and family loyalty, the villagers around her deem it unacceptable. You’re supposed to stay dead once you die, right?

About the legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong

So the story goes that there was a beautiful young woman named Nak. Together with her husband Mak, they lived on the banks of Phra Khanong Canal.

Their blissful marriage was interrupted when Mak was called to war while Nak was pregnant.

During the war, Mak got himself wounded. As he was recovering in Bangkok, Nak and their child both died during childbirth.

When Mak returned home, however, he found his wife and child happily waiting for him.

In the meantime, the neighbours tried to warn Mak that he was living with a ghost. Eventually, those who tried to warn him turned up dead.

One day, as Nak was preparing a Thai spicy chilli sauce called nam phrik, one of the limes rolled away and dropped off the porch.

As she reached for it, Mak watched in disbelief as her arm grew and stretched to an unnatural length, opening Mak’s eyes to what she really was – a ghost.

Horrified, Mak left his ghost-wife.

After this are different accounts of what happened. But fundamentally, Nak ran amok, terrorising the villagers whom she believed caused her husband to leave her.

Regardless of how scary Nak could be, the thought of trying to live among the living due to the undying love for her husband has been romantized many times in popular culture.

Here are KajoMag’s picks of horror films based on the legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong:
1.Nang Nak (1999)

This Thai horror classic is perhaps what made international fans take notice of the Thai movie industry. Additionally, it was the first Thai film to earn 100 million baht at the box office.

In this version of Mae Nak Phra Khanong, Mak was sent to fight in the real-life Siamese-Vietnamese War (1831-1834).

The movie also featured another real-life feature; a famous Buddhist monk named Somdet To (1788-1872).

In Nang Nak, the monk comes to exorcise Nak so that her soul can move on into the after-life.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Ghost of Mae Nak (2005)

Inspired by the legend Mae Nak Phra Khanong, this movie is set in modern Bangkok where the life of groom Mak is disturbed by a ghost woman named Mae Nak.

After protecting Mak and his fiancee Nak from a misfortune, Mae Nak now holds the soul of Mak.

Nak on the other hand, Is trying to release her fiance from the grip of Mae Nak.

Watch the trailer here.

3.Pee Mak (2013)

Instead of melodrama, Pee Mak (2013) took on a comedic angle of the legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong.

This move worked out for the movie maker because it is currently Thailand’s highest grossing film of all time.

The story starts just like the legend with Mak not realizing that he is living with the ghost of his dead wife.

Mak’s four friends however know that Nak is a ghost and go to lengthy ways to tell him, even using a game of charades.

Since it is a horror-comedy film, expect an unconventional ending when watching Pee Mak (2013).

Watch the trailer here.

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KajoPicks: 8 South Korean period action films to watch

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Here are 8 Kajo-approved South Korean period action films to watch:

1.The Great Battle (2018)

The Siege of Ansi was a battle between Goguryeo (an ancient Korean kingdom) and Tang forces in Ansi.

Ansi was a fortress on the Liaodong Peninsular in present-day Northeast China.

Lasting from June 20, 645 to Sept 18, 645, the Siege of Ansi was one of the biggest battles of the first campaign in the Goguryeo-Tang war.

The star of the battle was Yang Manchun, a Goguryeo commander of the Ansi Fortress.

In this Korean period action film, heart-throb Jo In-sung plays Yang Manchun, which will make you wonder if the historical figure could have really been that good looking.

Of course, critics were quick to criticise this particular casting as it was highly unlikely that Yang Manchun was in his mid 30s.

Nonetheless, The Great Battle was able to pull through, becoming one of the highest box office films of South Korea in 2018.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Warriors of the Dawn (2017)

What do you as a king when a foreign country tries to invade your kingdom? You flee the country, leaving your young son to take over, of course!

That was what King Seonjo, the 14th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea did when Japanese forces came knocking on his kingdom’s door.

He escaped to seek refuge from the Ming Empire, abandoning his people and leaving crown prince Gwanghae in-charge.

This Korean period action film follows the story of a group of mercenaries tasked to protect the reluctant Prince Gwanghae during the 1592 Imjin War.

Played by Yeo Jin-goo, the prince then leads the royal court to fight their enemies with the help of To-woo (Lee Jung-jae).

Growing up as a child actor, Jin-goo has proven over and over again that he has just gotten better in acting as he pursued a more adult role in this movie.

However, his acting is still somehow overshadowed by Jung-jae who is known for his charisma and chameleon’s ability as an actor.

Watch the trailer here.

3.War of the Arrows (2011)

How often does a period action film makes the top grossing films in any country? Honestly, it is a rare thing to happen especially in Hollywood over the last few years whereby most of the highest grossing films have been from the Marvel franchise.

This movie was the highest grossing Korean film of 2011, drawing an audience of 7.48 million.

It is set after the Second Manchu Invasion of Korea about an archer who risks his life to save his sister from slavery under Qing’s Prince Dorgon.

While the other characters such as the archer Nam-yi (Park Hae-il) and his sister Ja-in (Moon Chae-won) are fictional, Prince Dorgon or Rui was a real historical figure.

Watch the trailer here.

4.The Admiral, Roaring Currents (2014)

If it is a battle between 12 ships and an invading fleet numbering 333 vessels, the showdown must be epic.

This period action film revolves around the Battle of Myeongnyang, an event which took place on Oct 26, 1597 near Jindo Island, southwest of the Korean peninsula.

One of South Korea’s prominent actors, Choi Min-sik (I Saw the Devil, Lucy) plays the legendary naval commander Yi Sun-sin who led a heroic victory against the Japanese during the battle.

Instead of recruiting Japanese actors, Korean talents such as Ryu Seung-ryong, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Myung-gon took the role of Japanese historical figures Kurushima Michifusa, Wakisaka Yasuharu and Todo Takatora respectively.

With 10 million admissions only 12 days after its premiere, the movie sets a record for achieving the highest number of viewers in the shortest amount of time in South Korea.

Watch the trailer here.

5.The Fortress (2017)

After reading about King Injo of Joseon (16th king of the Joseon dynasty), most people would think him weak and indecisive.

Well, he did cause the depletion of his country’s economy and two wars with the Manchus during his reign.

This Korean period action film lets the audience into the mind of King Injo; what happened during the Second Manchu invasion of Korea in 1636 when he sought refuge in Namhansanseong fortress.

Portrayed by Park Hae-il, King Injo needs to decide whether to bend his knee to the Qing dynasty or not.

On his side is Choi Myeong-gil (Lee Byung-hun), a scholar and politician who advise the King to make the crucial decision.

Watch the trailer here.

6.Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014)

Starring Ha Jung-woo and Gang Dong-won, this Korean period action film sets in mid-19th century Joseon.

It is about a power struggle between the unjust wealthy who run the society and a group of what would stand for the Korean version of Robin Hood and his merry men.

This band of fighters named Kundo decide to steal from corrupt officials and then share their loot with the poor.

Kundi: Age of the Rampant has everything a Korean period action film can offer; a hero who rises from the lowest point of his life, a villain who clearly deserves to die from the beginning and tonnes of sword fighting and archery scenes.

Besides this, Jung-woo who plays the role of a former butcher who joins Kundo to avenge the death of his family is almost unrecognisable, largely because he is rocking a clean-shaved head in the movie.

Watch the trailer here.

7.The Age of Blood (2017)

Speaking of sword-fighting, here is a Korean period action film that gives you high adrenalin sword-fighting scenes.

Can you imagine slashing your opponents with your feet holding a sword while both of your hands are tied up in the air?

The Age of Blood (2017) follows the story of Kim Ho (Jung Hae-in) who is suddenly demoted to a lowly prison guard after he lost a battle.

Suddenly on his first day on the job, he finds five top fighters from the rebel group have to sneak into the jail to break out their captured leader.

Well, not a smart idea for the rebels because Kim Ho just had a career change from a swordsman for the king.

Watch the trailer here.

8.The Showdown (2011)
220px TheShowdown2011Poster

Here is another Korean action period film based on the Manchus invasion of Joseon.

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, the Joseon soldiers decide to help Ming China fight against the Manchus.

In the middle of Manchuria, the Joseon soldiers who barely survived the battle are now cornered by the Manchu forces.

Now, they have to fight a bloody battle for the survival.

The movie starring Park Hee-soon, JJin-Goo and Ko Chang-seok.

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15 travel horror movies to make you think twice before travelling

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Travel horror movies are one of those films which answers your question, “What could go worse on this trip?”

Well, these movies then push the boundaries of your imagination: there are serial killers, mad scientists, criminals, mysterious diseases, zombies waiting to ruin everyone’s vacation.

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Grab some popcorn and a pillow to cover your eyes during horrifying scenes in these travel horror movies. Credit: Pixabay.
So here are 15 travel horror movies make you think twice before going on your vacation (or maybe about what to pack):
1.Hostel (2005)

What could be the worst thing that could happen when travelling across Europe? How about being preyed on by a mysterious organisation that tortures and kills kidnapped tourists?

Not for the faint-hearted, this travel horror flick there are a lot of torture scenes and severed bodies.

These are the last few things you could expect when checking into a hostel. Hostel later went on to become part of a trilogy.

2.The Human Centipede (2009)

Here is another movie not for the faint-hearted. A German surgeon kidnaps three tourists and joins them surgically, mouth to anus, forming a human centipede. The movie premise is so disgusting, yet apparently there are no scenes of excrement and it went on to win several international accolades in the horror movie genre. This film also had sequels made, but the final in the sequence was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Awards.

3.Cabin Fever (2002)

When director Eli Roth (who also directed Hostel) went to Iceland for a trip, he got infected with a skin infection. Inspired by his experience, Roth co-wrote and directed this travel horror comedy film.

It is about a group of college graduates who rent a cabin in the woods and get infected by a flesh-eating virus. (Yes, it is a far leap from a skin infection.)

4.Eden Lake (2008)

When a couple choose a remote lake in the English countryside for a break, it means they clearly need a break from everything.

Their vacation is interrupted as a group of teenage delinquents target the couple, first stealing their belongings and then terrorizing and torturing them throughout the movie.

5.Frozen (2010)

Which one is scarier? Being stuck out in the snow as you freeze to death or being stuck in the air where you cannot come down?

How about a situation combining both? The movie follows a trio of skier and snowboarders stranded on a chairlift near the top of the mountain at a ski resort. Now, they have a choice of having to leave the chairlift or freeze to death.

6.The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Here is another slasher film on the list and it stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth and Anna Hutchison.

It is about a group of college students going for a retreat to a remote forest cabin. No, there is no serial killer in this movie… just some crazy scientists, zombies and werewolves.

7.Afflicted (2013)

The found footage concept may not be for everyone; sometimes it is too dizzying and eventually, annoying to watch.

This concept however, is suitable for this travel horror flick as it follows a pair of childhood friends travelling the world while filming a web series.

Their adventure gets cut short when they catch a disease during their stop in Barcelona.

8.A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

Be careful if you rescue a girl in the wilderness during your climbing trip. That girl could be: a) a ghost, or b) a kidnapping victim whose kidnappers are out to kill you after you rescue her.

A Lonely Place to Die (2011) is about a group of mountaineers who discover a girl buried alive in a small chamber in the forest of the Scottish Highlands.

9.The Hills Have Eyes (2016)

When someone tells you there is a shortcut you can take during your road trip, do not take their advice; it will be a trap.

There could be a serial killer or a blood-thirsty bear lurking along the so-called shortcut.

In this travel horror movie, there is a group of cannibalistic mutants targeting a family whose car breaks down after taking a ‘shortcut’.

10.The Shallows (2016)

Surfing is a fun thing to do when you do some solo travelling. But it is not so fun when you get stranded 180m from shore and there is a white shark waiting to have a piece of you.

The story follows medical student Nancy Adams (Blake Lively) who travels to a secluded beach in Baja California following the death of her mother.

Although it’s not likely that you will be stalked by a vengeful great white shark, it reminds yourself to prepare for all contingencies when you solo-travel, especially to a secluded beach.

11.The Last House on the Left (2009)

When a group of men who rape and almost kill your daughter take refuge at your vacation home, what do you do? You turn the place into a murder scene as you exact your revenge.

And what makes a good murder weapon other than the microwave which you used to make your family’s dinner?

This is a story of how a normal family could be driven into doing something evil when you cross them.

12.Turistas (2006)

It stars familiar names like Josh Duhamel, Melissa George and Olivia Wilde. This travel horror story turns ugly when a group of international backpackers in Brazil find themselves caught in an underground organ harvesting ring.

The twist is that the victims in the movie find that their organs are used for the poor.

13.The Ruins (2007)

What if your trouble during vacation comes not in the form of a human but in a form of a murderous plant instead?

The Ruins follows two young American couples enjoying their vacation in Mexico. When they visit a Mayan temple, they find themselves at the mercy of a vine that moves around and kills people.

14.Wolf Creek (2005)

This Australian travel horror thriller film takes you to the Wolf Creek National Park in Western Australia.

There, a serial killer lurks, waiting to abduct and kill tourists while taking their possessions as trophies.

The movie actually inspired by real-life The Backpacker Murders. It is a series of murders which took place in New South Wales between 1989 and 1993.

Authorities eventually arrested and charged Ivan Milat for killing seven backpackers including three German and two British nationals.

15.The Strangers (2008)

One of the worst things could happen to anyone is a random act of violence. There is no cause or closure or even obvious cure for these kind of cases.

The Strangers (2008) opens the viewers’ minds that death or crime could happen to anyone at random time or place.

It follows Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) whose stay at a vacation home is disrupted by three masked criminals who break into thee house.

Do you have any other 15 travel horror movies you would like to suggest? Let us know in the comment box.

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KajoPicks: 10 South Korean spy films about North Korean espionage

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When it comes to the spy film genre, the most famous movies are none other than the James Bond series.

While Hollywood took on a more fictional, imaginative angle of espionage activities, South Korean filmmakers turned to their northern neighbour for inspiration.

A handful of dramas and movies based on North Korean espionage came out over the years, and some of them were inspired by the real deal.

So here are KajoMag’s 10 South Korean spy films about North Korean espionage to watch:
1.Spy Gone North (2018)

Loosely based on the true story of South Korean spy, Park Chae-seo, this movie stars Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sung-min and Cho Jin-woong.

Jung-min plays the role of Park Seok-young, an agent recruited by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to infiltrate the highest ranks in North Korea.

He is given the code name ‘Black Venus’. His mission is to travel to Beijing disguised as a salesman and establish a business connection with high ranking North Korean official Ri Myung-un (Lee Sung-min).

Instead of expecting action and guns like most spy films, Spy Gone North (2018) is more of a slow-burn political drama.

Watch the trailer here.

2.The Berlin File (2013)

If you are looking for more action and thrill for your dose of South Korean spy films, watch The Berlin File (2013).

Talented Korean actor Ha Jung-woo stars as North Korean agent Pyo Jong-sung in Berlin who is betrayed and cut loose when a weapons deal goes wrong.

While trying to escape from Berlin, South Korean agent Jung Jin-soo (Han Suk-kyu) and North Korean agent Dong Myung-soo (Ryoo Seung-bum) are also hot on his trail.

The director Ryoo Seung-wan wanted the movie to be reminiscent of The Bourne Identity. So you can imagine it to be fast-paced with intense characters build-up for the secret agents.

3.Commitment (2013)

After his father’s failed espionage mission, North Korean Myung-hoon (Big Bang’s TOP) and his younger sister Hye-in (Kim Yoo-jung) are sent to a labor prison camp.

To save his sister, Myung-hoon volunteers to become a spy and infiltrates the South to finish what his father failed to do.

Arriving in South Korea, he poses as a North Korean defector and enrolls at a local high school.

Things get tricky when both North and South Korean governments are out to get him.

Watch the trailer here.

4.The Suspect (2013)

The selling point for us to watch this film is the fact that Gong Yoo is playing the role of a spy.

His character Ji Dong-chul is one of the top special forces agent in North Korea until he is abandoned by his own government.

This South Korean spy film is another revenge movie as Dong-chul finds out his wife and daughter are killed.

He defects to the South where he is framed for a murder by the South Korean intelligence service.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Secretly, Greatly (2013)

Secretly, Greatly (2013) is a South Korean spy film that starts light and funny and then intense and emotional halfway through the movie.

It stars Kim Soo-hyun, Park Ki-woong, and Lee Hyun-woo who play North Korean spies infiltrating South Korea as a village idiot, a rock musician and a high school student respectively.

What are the odds of three North Korean spies living in the same neighbourhood anyway?

They start to get comfortable with their lives in the South until a mission comes ordering them to commit suicide.

Watch the trailer here.

6.Operation Chromite (2016)

Liam Neeson in a South Korean spy film? Sign us up for this movie. Based on the real-life events of the Battle of Inchon, Neeson takes up the role of General Douglas MacArthur who devises a secret plan to attack behind enemy lines at Inchon.

The movie sets in 1950, few months after North Korean forces have invaded most of South Korea.

Then, an American-led UN coalition is sent to Korea to help the South Koreans.

But before any making any move, MacArthur plans a top secret South Korean intelligence operation. Operation Chromite presents a fictionalised version of the real operation in which the spies gather essential information from within occupied Inchon.

Watch the trailer here.

7.Secret Reunion (2010)

Imagine two spies; one from South Korea and another from the North reuniting years after both are no longer in the espionage business. Will they pretend to not know each other or plot to murder each other?

The story follows Agent Lee Han-gyoo (Song Kang-ho), a South Korean spy who falls from grace after failing to stop the assassination of a North Korean dissident.

Meanwhile, Ji-won (Kang Dang-won) is a North Korean undercover spy living in South Korea who is betrayed by his fellow agent.

Six years later, Han-gyoo works as a private investigator and Ji-won in construction. Fate brings them together later in life; will they pick up what they left years ago?

Watch the trailer here.

8.Silmido (2013)

In 1968, a black operations unit of the Republic of Korea Air Force known as Unit 684 is formed to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Il-sung.

Thirty-one civilians made up of either petty criminals or unemployed youths are recruited with the promise of money and jobs if they succeed in their mission.

Unit 684 members are trained on Silmido, an inhabited island off the Yellow Sea. They have to endure harsh training for years, during which seven of them die.

Things go even farther south in August 1971, when the assassination mission is cancelled following the improvement of relations between North and South Korea.

Feeling betrayed and upset after all they went through, the surviving members of Unit 684 start an uprising against the South Korean government.

This movie is the dramatised version of the Unit 684 retaliation against their government.

Watch the trailer here.

9.The Spies (2012)
The Spy2012 poster

Imagine living your life undercover for 22 years and suddenly you receive a mission to assassinate a target.

Section chief Kim (Kim Myung-min) was dispatched to South Korea 22 years ago to spy for the North Korean government. Over the years, he sticks to his life routine; making a living by selling fake Viagra pills smuggled from China.

After he receives a sudden assassination order, he starts to gather his teammates.

The movie follows how Kim and his teammates reluctantly carry out the assassination plot.

10.Double Agent (2003)

During the Cold War, Lim Byong-ho (Han Suk-kyu) is chased by North Korean officials in Berlin where he narrowly escapes.

However, he is caught by South Korean officials in which he is brought back to South Korea for interrogation.

After enduring horrifying torture, Lim convinces the South Korean to let him working as a training officer for operatives on survival in North Korea.

The plot thickens as it turns out Lim is actually a North Korean spy who still receives orders from his sleeper agent in South Korea.

Watch the trailer here.

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5 movies and dramas based on the Hwaseong serial murders

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After remaining unsolved for 33 years, South Korean police announced on Sept 18, 2019 that they had identified the prime suspect of the Hwaseong serial murders.

These murder cases rocked South Korean society from 1986 to 1991 as they soon realised that they could be looking at the country’s first serial killer.

Female victims’ ages ranged from 13 to 71, and were usually found bound, raped and murdered in Hwaseong, south of Seoul.

Most of the victims had been strangled to death; many with their own clothes.

Their bodies were found in different places including pastureland, canals, rice paddy fields and embankments.

Using the latest forensic techniques to retrieve DNA, officers managed to identify 56-year-old Lee Chun-jae as a suspect in at least three of the killings. Lee was already serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of his sister-in-law in 1994.

As of October 15, Lee’s status has been changed from ‘suspect’ to ‘accused’. Despite the statute of limitations having expired for all the Hwaseong serial murders, police have sent his case to prosecutors. The police had retained key evidence and samples all this while in the hopes of solving these heinous murders.

Often compared to Zodiac Killer cases as they had never been solved before, the Hwaseong serial murders have been portrayed several times in popular culture.

5 movies and dramas inspired by the Hwaseong serial murders
Here are 5 movies and dramas evoked by the Hwaseong serial murders:
1.Memories of Murder (2003)

This movie is the most famous portrayal of the Hwaseong serial murders in popular culture.

Besides its cinematography, Sang Kang-ho’s performance as Detective Park Doo-man gained wide praise from movie buffs.

It is set in 1986 in the province of Gyunggi where a second young and beautiful woman is found dead, raped and gagged with her own underwear.

The movie circles around Park, a small town policeman and his partner Cho Yong-koo (Kim Roi-ha) who use brutality to solve the case.

Then comes Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung) into the picture. He may be younger than Park but he is experienced enough to help Park with the investigation.

Memories of Murder have a few similarities with the real events of the Hwaseong serial murders.

For instance, the fact that the victims were gagged with their underwear was drawn from the case.

In the movie, however, the DNA evidence was sent to US for analysis compared to the Hwaseong serial murders where evidence had been sent to Japan.

Just like in the real cases, the DNA results did not match any of the suspects back then.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Confession of Murder (2012)

Imagine if the killer had published a tell-all book about how he committed all the murders after the statute of limitation expired, knowing that he would not be prosecuted.

In this movie, Lee Du-seok (Park Si-hoo) does exactly that, describing all his killings in detail.

Detective Choi (Jung Jae-young), who investigated the murders 15 years prior starts to hunt the killer again.

Meanwhile, Han Ji-soo (Kim Young-ae), who lost her daughter to the serial killer pledges revenge.

At the same time, another killer appears, casting doubt on who the real killer is.

So who is the real killer? Is Du-Seok just an impostor or is the other killer just a copycat?

Full of suspense, this movie is also about the victims families who take matters into their own hands after believing authorities had failed them.

Watch the trailer here.

3.Gap-dong (2014)

This 20-episode drama is set in the fictional city of Iltan in Gyeonggi Province. After a total of nine murders within a 12-kilometer radius over three years, the police conclude the man behind the crimes is a guy they nicknamed ‘Gap-dong’.

Detective Yang (Sung Dong-il) believes the killer is an intellectually challenged man named Ha Il-sik.

To prove his innocence, Ha commits suicide. Subsequently, his son Moo-yeom (Yoon Sang-hyun) becomes a police officer to clear his father’s name.

After 17 years, a string of crimes resembling Gap-dong’s murders occur. Is it committed by the same murderer or a copycat?

This time, Detective Yang and Moo-yeom have to put aside their pasts and work together to catch Gap-dong.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Tunnel (2017)

In 1986, Detective Park Gwang-ho (Choi Jin-hyuk) tries to catch a serial killer. While chasing the serial killer, he enters a tunnel.

When he emerges from the other side of the tunnel, Detective Park finds himself in the year 2016.

He then realises the serial killer has continued killing after 30 years. This time, he needs to work with Detective Kim Seon-jae (Yoon Hyun-min) and a criminal psychological counselor Shin Jae-yi (Lee Yoo-young).

You can watch the drama legally here for free.

5.Signal (2016)

Starring Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo and Cho Jin-woong, this drama has not only drawn from the Hwaseong serial murders but also other real-life crimes in South Korea.

The plot starts when a mysterious walkie talkie shows up, allowing a detective in the year 2000 to communicate with a cold case profiler in 2015.

Together, they not only solve crimes but prevent some cases from ever taking place.

Signal (2016) is one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history. There is even a Japanese remake of the drama which premiered in 2018.

Watch the trailer here.

Watch this drama on Viu here.

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#KajoPicks: 10 tear-jerking Korean romance movies you need to watch

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If you are looking to shed some tears while watching love stories unfold, here are KajoMag’s suggestion of 10 tear-jerking Korean romance movies to watch:
1.The Classic (2003)
The Classic
The Classic (2003). Credits: IMDB

When it comes to Korean romance movies, actress Son Ye-jin is perhaps the queen of this genre. One of her breakthrough performances is in Classic (2003).

The film tells the parallel love stories of a mother and daughter, both played by Ye-jin.

The story starts with the daughter, Ji-hye and Soo-kyoung (Lee Tae-Kyung) who are friends that both have a crush on Sang Min (Jo In-sung).

Soo-kyung asks Ji-hye to write a love letter to Sang-min on her behalf (why would you ask your friend to do that anyway?). Luckily for her, after receiving that letter, Sang-min is attracted to Soo-kyung.

Feeling uncomfortable that her crush is attracted to her best friend, Ji-hye starts to avoid him. But since it is a classic romantic movie, Ji-hye keeps on running into Sang-min.

Amidst the romantic encounters, Ji-hye finds a box. Inside is her mother’s memorabilia of her first love. The movie then explores how her mother’s love story intertwines with her own.

2.A Moment to Remember (2004)
Korean romance movies to watch
A Moment to Remember. Credits: IMBD

While most romantic stories are about finding love and a happy ending, this movie revolves around the question of what happens after you marry the love of your life and the ever after is nothing like you imagined.

Based on the 2001 Japanese television drama Pure Soul, the film stars Son Ye-jin as Kim Su-jin and Jung Woo-sung as Choi Chui-soo.

Married life seems great for the couple until she finds out that she is suffering with a rare kind of Alzheimer’s disease.

As things get harder for the couple, Su-jin checks herself into an assisted facility. Despite his grief, Chui-soo stays by Su-jin’s side even when she doesn’t remember him. At one point, she even calls him her ex-boyfriend’s name, and Chui-soo painfully plays along.

The movie even inspired other countries such as India, Turkey and Malaysia to make similar films involving the heroine diagnosed with Alzheimer’s while her husband remains by her side.

3.Late Blossom (2011)
Korean romance movies to watch 2

Unlike most Korean romantic movies, this is a love story of two elderly couples.

Based on a Korean manhwa I Love You by Kang Full, the movie turned out to be a sleeper hit even with little budget for marketing.

The movie follows Kim Man-suk (Lee Soon-jae), a foul-mouthed milk deliverer but actually has a warm heart.

One day, he meets Song (Yoon So-jung), a woman who collects and sells scrap paper. Meanwhile, there is Jang Kun-bong (Song Jae-ho) who works in a parking lot and has a wife who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

This unique romance movie about finding new love in old age and being in love with the same person after years of marriage is definitely worth-watching.

4.Always (2011)
Korean romance movies to watch 3
Always (2011) official poster.

How can a man possibly look hot and disheveled at the same time? That is how So Ji-sub looks like as he plays Cheol-min, a man who had shut his life from the world in this movie.

After a failed boxing career, Cheol-min works as a parking lot attendant where he meets a blind telemarketer named Jung-hwa (Han Hyo-joo).

They start spending time together and eventually fall in love with each other.

Even though Hyo-joo’s acting as a blind woman is as convincing as it can get, there is still something lacking about it, but Ji-sub’s performance in this movie will tug at your heartstrings.

5.Maundy Thursday (2006)
Korean romance movies to watch 4
Maundy Thursday official poster.

In this Korean romance movie, the heroine is someone who has attempted suicide several times.

Meanwhile, the hero is a death-row inmate who is actually sentenced to death for murder.

The heroine Yu-jeong (Lee Na-young) has an aunt who is a nun. She often visits death row inmates in prison. One day, one of the inmates, Yun-soo (Gang Dong-won) asks if he could meet her niece.

Yu-jeong reluctantly agrees, subsequently visiting Yun-soo in jail every Thursday.

The most unlikely pair eventually find love in each other but time is running out on them as Yun-soo is about to get executed.

6.More Than Blue (2009)

Don’t you hate it when two people fall in love in a movie and one of them gets terminally ill but refuses to tell the other person?

You are dying so why can’t you be honest for one last time?

More than Blue follows two friends K (Kwon Sang-woo) and Cream (Lee Bo-young) who first meet each other during high school.

One day, K finds out he only has few months left to live. Since he knows Cream’s biggest fear is to be left alone, he decides to keep it as a secret.

To prepare Cream’s life without him, K pushes her to fall for Ju-hwan (Lee Beom-soo). Suddenly, Cream announces she is in love with Ju-hwan. Or is she?

Realistically speaking, life will not be as complicated as it is in this movie if people just choose to be honest with each other.

Watch the trailer here.

7.Pure Love (2016)
Korean romance movies to watch 5
Pure Love or Unforgettable official poster.

While there is a popular belief in the Korean entertainment industry that K-pop idols can’t act, they are usually cast in a drama/movie for popularity boost anyway. That being said, EXO’s D.O or Do Kyung-soo is one of the few K-pop idols who really proved the skeptics wrong.

In this movie Pure Love (or internationally released as Unforgettable), D.O plays a shy and innocent boy named Beom-sil who falls in love with Soo-ok (Kim So-hyun). Soo-ok has a leg injury so Beom-sil is always there to carry her.

The movie overall is not just about romance but about friendship, grief and acceptance.

Maybe it was the movie cinematography, the soundtrack or just D.O’s raw performance, but who knew kissing an umbrella could be more intimate than an actual kiss?

Besides looking forward to D.O’s non-kissing kissing scene, prepare to wipe your tears at the end of the movie if you decide to watch Pure Love.

8.A Millionaire’s First Love (2006)
Korean romance movies to watch 6
A Millionaire’s First Love official poster.

This Korean romance movie might remind you of Nicholas Spark’s novel A Walk to Remember. A troubled male teenager falls in love with an innocent girl who turns out to be dying.

In this movie, Hyun Bin plays a rich kid named Kang Jae-kyung. After a series of trouble, his grandfather sends him to a small town in Gangwon province. If he fails to graduate or drops out, then he would lose all of his inheritance.

There he meets and subsequently falls in love with Choi Eun-hwan (Lee Yeon-hee), an orphan who is suffering from a heart disease.

At first, Jae-kyung tries to push Eun-hwan from him, afraid that his presence would cause more harm than good for her.

Eventually, he decides stay with her and do everything to make her happy.

There are few tear-jerking moments in this movie. But one of the most memorable parts must be when Jae-kyung gives Eun-hwan a jar containing love notes wrapped in pill capsules for her birthday. Each capsule is supposed to be opened once a day.

Jae-kyung then catches Eun-hwan opening a handful of the love notes at once as she is afraid she might die before she can read all of them.

9.One Day (2017)

Death plays a major role in most tear-jerking Korean romance movies just like One Day (2017). After the death of his wife, insurance examiner Gang-soo (Kim Nam-gil) falls into depression.

Upon returning to work, he takes a case of a woman named Mi-so (Chun Woo-hee) who is in a vegetative state.

When he visits her at the hospital, Gang-soo realises he can see and talk to Mi-so’s spirit and he is the only one who can do that.

Do not be fooled by the movie’s cheery official poster because the storyline is not as happy as its promotional item.

Watch the trailer here.

10.Be With You (2018)

Once again Son Ye-jin proves she is the queen of Korean romance movies with the success of Be With You (2018).

She plays the role of Soo-ah who returns one year after her death to the bewilderment of her husband Woo-jin (So Ji-sub) on a rainy day.

However, all of her memories have all disappeared. Woo-jin takes Soo-ah in to live with him and she slowly begins to remember her past.

The timeline of this movie might be a bit confusing because it is a bit fantasy-ish. Plus, there are flashback scenes of how the couple first met and started dating.

Of course, all good things have to come to an end as Soo-ah needs to leave her family once again.

Tear-jerking moment? That time when the couple’s son Ji-ho (Kim Ji-hwan) delivers a speech in a school concert, telling his mother that he will take care of his father when she leaves them. Talk about heart-breaking!

Watch the trailer here.

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10 South Korean disaster movies you need to watch

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The thought of “What’s the worst that could happen?” is perhaps how most disaster movies came about.

Any good disaster movie will keep its viewers glued to their seats; there are always multiple storylines going on while featuring a large cast and a tremendous set, all the while following the conventional main heroes as they try to escape or inspire others to cope with the disasters.

Although it doesn’t happen too often in Hollywood disaster movies, some South Korean movies do see their heroes dying, making them tear-jerking.

If you are haven’t watch these, here are 10 South Korean disaster movies you need to watch:
1.Tidal Wave (2009)

Considered as South Korea’s first disaster film, this movie received more than 11 million admissions nationwide.

Although the film’s English name is ‘Tidal Wave’, the film is actually referring to a tsunami.

Just like most disasters movies inspired by real-life disasters, this one was inspired by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Deranged (2012)

While Tidal Wave was South Korea’s first disaster movie, this one is the country’s first medical thriller on an infectious disease epidemic.

If you believe in conspiracy theories of greedy pharmaceutical companies behind the spread of some diseases or illnesses, this movie fits that theory. It is a fatal outbreak of mutant parasitic horsehair worms that can control the human brain.

Watch the trailer here.

3.Flu (2013)

Imagine a scarier and deadlier strain of H5N1 influenza virus that could kill its victims within 36 hours… and then throw in the human factor.

Flu (2013) takes place in the district of Bundang in Seongnam where half a million people go into a panic after an outbreak of deadly flu.

What starts out like a detective story as it follows the spread of the flu, escalates into mass hysteria, so much so that the government is forced to put its military forces out against its own citizens.

Directed by King Sung-su, the movie stars Jang Hyuk and Soo Ae.

Watch the trailer here.

4.The Tower (2012)

Before Dwayne Johnson rescued his family from a Hong Kong condominium tower taken over by terrorists and set on fire in Skyscraper (2018), there was this movie called The Tower (2012).

In this film, a fire breaks out in a luxury skyscraper in central Seoul on Christmas Eve. Like most disaster movies, this is a story of bravery as the manager Dae-ho (Kim Sang-kyung) tries to save his loved ones and colleagues from the fire.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Pandora (2016)

Make sure you prepare your tissues for this movie because you are going to need it.

The story follows Jae-hyeok (Kim Nam-gil) who works in a local nuclear power plant. Suddenly, an earthquake strikes, causing an explosion at the plant.

While the whole nation is in a state of panic, Jae-hyeok and his colleagues return to the plant to prevent another nuclear disaster.

Watch the trailer here.

Korean disaster movies
A screenshot of Pandora trailer from Youtube.
6.Tunnel (2016)

If you are claustrophobic, this might not be a good movie for you to watch. Starring one of Korea’s most talented actors – Ha Jung-woo – this film revolves around a car salesman who gets trapped in a poorly constructed tunnel that collapsed.

After he regains consciousness, he finds himself trapped under tonnes of concrete.

Watch how he tries to survive with two bottles of water and his daughter’s birthday cake.

Watch the trailer here.

7.The Terror Live (2013)

Before Jung-woo starred in Tunnel, he acted in another disaster movie called The Terror Live (2013).

Here, he plays an ambitious news anchorman Young-hwa who monopolizes the live broadcast of a terrorist attack following the explosion of Mapo Bridge on the Han river.

Apparently, he is not the only one who wants to exploit the disaster for their own agenda.

Watch the trailer here.

8.Train to Busan (2016)

This is the kind of disaster that might be scary but interesting if it really happened. The plot takes place mostly on a train to Busan as a zombie apocalypse breaks out in the country.

The film set a record as the first Korean film of 2016 to break the audience record over 10 million viewers.

Besides the convincingly scary zombies, what makes the movie engrossing was the storyline of different characters.

From Gong Yoo’s acting as Seok-woo, a fund manager who is obsessed with his work to Kim Eui-sung as the selfish businessman, every character carries their own weight making the movie interesting to watch.

Watch the trailer here.

9.Exit (2019)

When disaster strikes, it is natural for humans to use every knowledge or skill they know in order to survive. In this movie, the main character Yong-nam (Jo Jung-suk) uses his rock climbing skills to save everyone from a mysterious white gas covering Seoul.

Watch the trailer here.

10.Sinkhole (working title, 2020)

Well, this movie is not out yet and is expected to be released in 2020. But the cast line-up already has people talking. The movie stars Cha Seung-won, Kim Sung-kyun and Running Man’s Lee Kwang-soo.

Furthermore, the film will be directed by Kim Ji-hoon, the same director for The Tower. With one successful disaster movie in his belt, movie buffs can have high expectations for Sinkhole.

The film follows residents of a villa who are trapped after a sinkhole occurs.

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