Discoveries from South Korea World Cinema

A man fails to break up the relationshiop between the girl he loves and her fiance. He decides to prove his love by writing lyrics for the songs she composed and entering them in a contest.

Disillusioned with her work life, Mun-gyeong goes on a vacation to Mungyeong City on a whim. There, she and Ga-eun, a Buddhist nun who was taking travelling practice, rescue a stray dog, Gil-soon. The three unite and spend a night of emotional solidarity at an old lady's house.

Ju Yeon is a young girl who just discovered her homosexuality. She's looking for other women like her on the Internet for a movie she wants to make and that's how she meets Yeo Gyeong, another lesbian girl who's in the same school. The movie also follows Han Na, an office worker who lives with her girlfriend Yeong Eun, who will feel betrayed by her partner's pregnancy, and Myeong Hee and Hyang Ja, owners of a lesbian bar who will face the return of Hyang Ja's estranged daughter.

Gang-soi is a mean scoundrel who travels up north. Ong-nyo, a woman destined to be widowed, is run out of her village and travels south. Gang-soi and Ong-nyo meet in Chongseok-gwan, a midpoint between Hwang-hae province and Gaeseong, and they get together. As they wander the lands, Ong-nyo works hard while Gang-soi does nothing. They settle down in Mt. Jiri. But when Gang-soi brings back a totem pole while looking for wood and when he tries to start a fire with it, he incurs its wrath and dies. Thus their relationship comes to a tragic end.

On September 4, 1984, democracy movement leader Kim Jong Tae is arrested and taken to an infamous interrogation facility in Namyeong-dong. For the next 22 days, he would be cruelly and continuously tortured in all manners by interrogators intent on forcing him to confess to communist collaboration.

Dive into IVE! Hello, we're IVE! After traveling across 19 countries during their first-ever world tour, IVE made a passionate return to Seoul for an encore performance of their "SHOW WHAT I HAVE" concert. Now, the dreamlike excitement of their world tour unfolds on the big screen once again – this time in cinemas across the globe. Capturing the energy and the emotion of the concert, this thrilling film features a rich set-list filled with diverse hit songs that made IVE who it is today along with dazzling stage performances, candid band interviews, and exclusive behind-the-scenes videos! This is a special opportunity to dive into IVE for the first time or to relive the special memories from the live concert. Are you ready to 'LOVE DIVE'?

Byeon Kang-soe proves to be too powerful and endowed for most women to bear so he begins a quest to locate Ong-nyeo, a woman whose sexual stamina matches his own

In the hypothetical 1970s when parallel universes have been discovered, a comedian has an affair with his wife in a parallel universe. When his actual wife threatens divorce, he embarks on an adventure with his divorce lawyer.

Jung-seo, who is planning on getting married, wins an apartment subscription, which is almost like winning a lottery. Not being able to pay the deposit, she makes a begrudging visit to her father for money, who had divorced her mother without paying any alimony. But when she meets his new family, everything gets messed up due to different desires of each of them. In the unexpected chaos, Jung-seo gradually faces what they really want, and most importantly, what she wants deep inside herself.

An attractive single mother rents a room in her house to a mysterious drifter who has nefarious plans to swindle her.

Upon the retirement of the father, who has been a teacher at Cheorwon Technical High School, mother, two sons and daughters-in-law gather in Cheorwon. The retirement ceremony is rather quiet, and father drops the bombshell at a Chinese restaurant while eating. When he announces he will get a divorce, mother is so angry she doesn’t know what to say, and the sons and daughters-in-law are confused. Heavy snow hits Cheorwon keeping the buses from operating, and the family start an awkward time at the father’s residence.

The events that precede and follow, for each of those present in turn, when a young woman is asked for verification of her identity one time too many, in this case when presenting a check at a convenience store. Despite the repetition of the central scene the personal stories and consequences are interestingly varied and unpredictable. The problem for the central character is that her country allows her no usable identity following her change of sex. This was true for the lead actress, South Korea's most famed woman of transsexual history, Ha Ri-su, but that is about as far as the plot bears any resemblance to her actual life. Since the film was released the actress became, by a landmark court case, the first in her country to to be allowed proper recognition and papers. There are of course many other countries which still impose the same difficulties on similar young women.

Commissioned by South Korea's National Human Rights Commission, If You Were Me is an innovative omnibus film project to promote tolerance and human rights and shed light on the hardships disadvantaged people face in Korea. After the success of the first anthology, a second series, If You Were Me 2, was released this year. Five notable Korean directors - Park Kyung Hee (A Smile), Ryoo Seung Wan (Crying Fist), Jung Ji Woo, Jang Jin (Guns & Talks), and Kim Dong Won - participated in the second installment, creating shorts on human rights issues of their choosing.

Ji-seok, who raised her daughter Yoon-jeong by herself has had troubles that she cannot talk about. He's just looking to tell his daughter that he has a woman to marry. Since the bride-to-be Soo-jin is of the same age as her daughter, Yoon-jeong is afraid of opposition and cannot speak. Ji-seok finally asks for help from his daughter's boyfriend, Seok-joo, who came to play at home...

Ma Gang-se (Kang Pil-seon) is branded at work as the pervert professor and in the end, he gets fired. He thinks there's no more reasons to live and leaves on a trip by himself before he commits suicide. On his trip, he meets a mysterious woman named Sara. He spends every night with her and satisfies his erotic fantasies, However, Kang-se starts to suspect her existence as she appears and disappears all the time. Finally, the shocking truth about her is unveiled...

Agent 'X' always fullfills his missions perfectly until one day he is ordered to deliver a mysterious item to agent 'R'. However, agent 'R' is found dead and his girlfriend Mia points a gun at him. Agent 'X' is set up and will he be able to get out of this dangerous situation?

Mrs. Han who argues with her husband about living expenses. She unexpectedly earns 5 million won over an apartment she sold and becomes a speculator. She teams up with some slanderers and makes big money then soon dissolved into pleasure with men around her. Finally, slanderers trick her and she is broke and nearly mad. The police catches the speculators and they show no regrets. When the verdict is announced, they finally see their wrong doings.

A top actress lives next door to a teenage tennis player named So-eun who is, in fact, her daughter. Mother and daughter don't quite get along.

Six people from different backgrounds find themselves fighting for their lives when they are swept up into a fantasy adventure in a theme park, where the dangers are real, the supernatural is the norm, and escape is next to impossible. They must pool their resources and skills in order to survive the jungle setting, if they are ever to return to their own world.

This Korean thriller begins as an organized crime kingpin murders his wife and child and then turns his gun on himself. His policeman brother, an identical twin, returns to his hometown only to find, to his surprise, that he is immediately mistaken for his dead brother. As disillusioned with law enforcement as his brother was with criminal life, the policeman takes on his brother's identity, enmeshing himself in the violent life that ultimately lead to his brother's demise.

Five high school teens on their way to college. But gradually they go through the struggles of life and end up discovering who they are and what it is they truly want in life.

A grandfather, his son, and grandson are all henpecked husbands. A comedy picturing these three henpecked men's lives at one family.

In 1950s Korea, war-scarred widow Jung-boon raises her daughter alone. Teen orphan Yoon-ha falls for her; years later he marries the daughter to stay near Jung-boon, igniting forbidden love and tragedy.

Hyung Soo, who is negotiating for a sexual service charge of Joo Young, fell into Joo Young’s trick and ended up entering the auction house for Organ Human Trafficking. Blink of a moment, Hyung Soo’s body parts are on sale and a lot of people shout out prices for his body parts. As Hyung Soo’s kidney sold to Geuk Ryul, earthquake occurs and the building started to collapse. Any crimes can be buried at the fallen building; people becomes monsters for the money.

Han-woo and Sam-gyeop are helpers who do whatever the customers want. Most customers are wealthy. It is also important to appease their vigorous physical needs. Two men who serve the locals with their own specialties. They must satisfy their wife's burning desire!!

"Drama Special - Understanding Dance" is a romantic comedy about Byeong Hyeon's love for Soo Ji, whom he meets at dance class. (Source: Han Cinema)

Chinese eel farmer Chen smuggles himself into Korea to prove that his eels are safe to eat.

A cellist is haunted by strange events after a car wreck.

Part I : A middle-aged woman gets off a bus at Muju Terminal. She passes through the town and walks into a forest. She starts to search for the vestiges of her life from beyond the grave. Part II : A young woman, Minjae, returns to her hometown of Muju and starts to work at the county office. Her mother is displeased that her daughter has returned to the hometown. One day, Minjae’s friend from college, Kyungyoon, who hadn’t been in touch for a while, comes to see her.

A sexual love film depicting the sexual intercourse of a man working at a host bar with two sisters.

Ha Dong, Kyung Nam Province in 1890. Choi Chi-Su's family is a grand land lord of the region from generation to generation. His mother Mrs. Yoon gives birth to another son Hwan after she was raped by Kim Gae-Ju when he is 10 years old. Later Hwan becomes a servant of Choi family but he falls in love with Chi-Su's wife and they flee by night. Meanwhile after a reign of 40 years of King Ko Jong, cholera prevails all over the country and years of famine follows it. While people suffer from natural disasters and diseases, one of Chi-Su's maternal relative Cho Jun-Ku and his wife make a plot to take Choi family's enormous wealth and strengthen the foundation for his status. In this chaos some villagers and Seo-Hee, Chi-Su's daughter leave their village for Buk Kan Do.

To get advice from a loan shark, Dongwoo, We go to the iron material called the legend of a loan shark. As you deal with him, you hear the story of Cheoljae's past. A woman named Do-hee who has to pay back her parents' debts... It was a woman who had a relationship with Dongwoo in the past. Cheoljae uses numbers to keep her from leaving. Dongwoo plans to revenge on Cheoljae...

A flight from Incheon to London's Kingsford Smith Airport is canceled due to an engine malfunction, and passengers are provided with a complimentary overnight stay at a layover hotel. Six strangers, unexpectedly stranded together, each have a unique and unforeseen experience throughout the night. This temporary stay becomes a moment of reflection on their lives.

Young couple Mingu and Eugene. Because of her poor night job, Eugene has a romance for the object. One day, Min-gu meets his younger brother, Young-jun, at a local cafe, and invites Young-jun to the house. When Eugene asks the secret to Youngjun's wife who looks younger than her age, Miyeon says she is loved every night for her husband's big things. After that day, Eugene couldn't sleep with the thought of Yeong-jun's objective, Eventually, he blatantly seduces him...​

In Manchuria during the 1940's, a karate master named Sazaki and hapkido champion Wang make plans to rob the Korean Independence Army of its funds. However, unknown to them, the money is guarded by one Mr Lee--a grand master of taekwondo.

Hajin works at a company that's going through financial difficulties and hasn't been able to pay her for months. Gangseok has a well paying tuition job but his student and family debt and the fact that his mother is in a coma means that he's always short on money. They are both struggling to make it in this cold and difficult reality we call life. One day they end up at a blind date service meeting party and find that they are 98% compatible with each other. Certain random happenings makes Gangseok want to believe that Hajin is the one. But there's one secret that they can't share which is that they're both so poor that they're living at a cheap student hostel. Will they be able to overcome their current situation of hidden poverty and realize true love? Or will the harshness of reality split them apart? A touching and yet coldly realistic love story...

A camping girl ran away to the camping site because she was in debt, and so she went camping for a long time. However, her life at the camping site is not easy. She falls into debt again due to Sin Ha-seong, the owner of the camping site. She starts working hard to make money at the camping site. The owner steals her money and holds them.

Three friends, Duk-bae, Chun-sik, and Kil-nam, work each at a suburban Chinese restaurant, a barbershop, and a motel. The three friends are clueless about their future. They just share the drinks and love stories. Kil-nam is in love with Jin-ok working at a hair salon and Chun-sik is after Yu who also works at the barbershop. Naive Duk-bae's mind is torn between Chun-sun who works at a factory and an uptown girl Myung-hi.

A girl with bone cancer tells her story to the world through a radio DJ.

Cho Eun-ja is the president of Club LaLa, which has been a family business for three generations. It used to be a very popular club but not anymore. Now the club is in heavy debt to Eun-ja. To bring back the old days of glory, Eun-ja tries desperately to keep the club afloat while the owner of Club Nemo wants to take over LaLa. Club Nemo is also a family business and the KIMs have been rivals with the Chos. KIM wants to put an end to their rivalry by buying LaLa and building a department store. So he sets traps to force Eun-ja to sell the club. He first makes Eun-ja take out a private loan and, he snatches the only popular singer and last hope of LaLa. LaLa is thrown in a state of turmoil as it ends up on the verge of bankruptcy. As the last resort to save the club, the four girls decide to stand on the stage themselves as a dancing group named "Oh! LaLa Sisters". Thanks to their fabulous performances, they finally become popular.

She appeared in a bunny girl costume in the middle of Gangnam! Yuria Satomi is an idol in the world of AV and while her Korean agency is preparing her fan meeting, they are struggling to save as much money as they can. They get a fake translator and book a cheap motel for her as the fan meeting goes on. The irresponsible translator leaves in the middle for another job and the manager disappears into a PC room to send an e-mail to their Japanese agency. Satomi is on her own. The female worker left on site even disappears with the van. Satomi is left in the middle of the city in nothing but a bunny girl costume...

Eun-ho and Ki-baek, rode a paraglider and had an minor accident. They grew up and live in the different backgrounds so that they fight like a cat and dog over everything. Even though they hate each other, at the same time, they come to fall for each other and become a couple. The only matter is to obtain each family’s consent.

Face the complicated relationship! Tae-kyeong's first love Chae-bin promises to marry wealthy Seok-dae but Seok-dae is actually in a relationship with his assistant... Then one day, Seok-dae's assistant Eun-soo comes around to Tae-kyeong who is in despair! However, Eun-soo looks so much like Hee-soo who Tae-kyeong thought she'd killed.

The movie is about victims of a systemized fraud tracking down the scammers.

KIM serves as a professor of film studies at a rural college, away from his family. Having kept the memories of birds from his childhood, he intends to make a film based on the images of birds that appear in his dreams. In his position as educator, KIM finds himself torn between artistic ideals of the film and the realities of life which his student's must encounter daily. It is in this setting that he struggles to discover the nature of his identity. A middle school science teacher, Young-hee, although a long-time lover of KIM's is not confident in their future relationship. She asks KIM to accompany her to her childhood hometown. During the trip, the two begin to realize that each belongs to different realities from the other. Young-hee begins to desire a relationship of a different sort with him. However, KIM's ambition is to redeem his own artistic value blurred between film fantasy and reality.

The public yearns for a hero who will solve the economic crisis, and MB bursts onto the scene. However, what made voters excited now makes them disappointed. How the then voters were seen from the MB’s perspective? A political documentary that makes people laugh and cry.

A man, feeling guilty and depressed over a life-and-death decision he made while rock climbing, which left his friend dead, regains hope and the will to live when an elderly man gives him a diary belonging to a soldier during the Korean War.

Widow Ok is the daughter-in-law of the Hwang family in Youngnam region, a family known for its generations of virtuous women. Widow Ok sticks to a life of principles and focuses on rearing her children. Chon-seok is a servant who has feelings for Ok but is resigned to admire from afar. Choi, a man of influence, has his eyes on Ok and wants to get rid of Chon-seok.

Lesbian couple Sun-woo and Hee-suh buy a small apartment, which they’ve put everything for. But when Sun-woo loses her job and injures her leg, their relationship begins to sour while Hee-suh is sorely responsible for paying the mortgage and interest. Their stress level reaches a fever pitch when a foul odor starts to emanate from downstairs.

Nam-hee (Shim Hye-Jin) is going about selling fruit from her truck, when she nearly runs over a young gentleman, Joon (Lee Sang-Woo). Joon finds his way to Nam-hee's house, where he meets her mother Gan-nan (Kim Su-Mi), and her 20-year-old daughter Na-rae (Da-hee Lee). Through a series of circumstances, Joon comes to live with the three women, and with the introduction of a handsome man in their house, the three use their own skills to vie for his attention and compete for his affection.

Hee-joo, a high school student, meets the tutor that she likes and it made her push to study harder. Yeon-soo, upon seeing her best friend, Hee-joo change for the better, she felt hurt and asked her brothers to do unpleasant things to Hee-joo. She even let out rumors to make Hee-joo drop out of school. After dropping out, even if she took the college entrance exam, Hee-joo couldn't adjust, and so she got along with the neighborhood oppas from before and lived a pathetic life. On the other hand, Yeon-soo found a man to marry. She pretends to be a woman who went to college with a job and talents, trying to hide her past. However, that man was Hee-joo's former tutor.... Will Hee-joo's life, destroyed by a friend, be able to find her place?

Eun-ho, a photographer, acquires a used camera, only to discover a ghost appearing in his photos and reality. As the camera behaves erratically, he experiences terrifying hallucinations, ruining his relationship and jeopardizing his career. Seeking help, he turns to Gwang-myeong, a forensic hypnosis expert, to uncover the camera’s secrets and perform an exorcism.

In an old multi-family house, Wonjung Villa, Joo-hyun casually puts the missionary paper of the cult-church received by accident into the mailbox of Shin-hye. Shin-hye gradually devotes herself to the church and passionately evangelizes her neighbors for treating her sick son.

Dong Woo misses his wife Min Hee, who had spent a night with another man. Dong Woo continues this love and hatred for Min Hee and can't seem to tie the knot. One day, Dong Woo meets Yoon Seo, who was dumped by her boyfriend of 5 years. They comfort each other then realize only the deep sense of loss allows them to start a new love.

A top Korean actor is forced into virtual reality and tasked with 'protecting his child by playing a father', only to discover a shocking truth as he begins to love his son with a real father's heart.