12 Best Korean Movies Streaming On Netflix Right Now

South Korean pop culture has been taking the world by storm for years, far beyond Netflix’s chart-topping animated movie success with 2025’s “KPop Demon Hunters.” From pop music and culinary trends to movies and television, Korean productions have been increasingly well-received globally. Netflix has been a major streaming home to many Korean shows and movies internationally for a long time. Indeed, the best K-dramas on Netflix are among the best shows ever produced by South Korea.

That commitment to quality and availability to Korean entertainment on Netflix extends to movies in its streaming library too, of course. With films touching on virtually every major genre, there is a lot to choose from, so we’re narrowing it down to the finest available at the time of this writing. Unlike “KPop Demon Hunters,” we’re focusing on movies that were produced or co-produced by South Korean studios. 

Here are the 12 best Korean movies streaming on Netflix right now, each offering compelling stories and memorable characters in their own right.

The shockingly tragic history behind the Gwangju Inhwa School for the Deaf serves as the basis for the 2011 drama “Silenced.” The movie stars Gong Yoo as Kang In-ho, a new art teacher at a special needs school for Deaf children. Immediately finding the students emotionally distant and closed-off, In-ho discovers that the school’s faculty and administration have secretly been sexually abusing them for years. In-ho moves to expose the school’s crimes, though he runs into an airtight cover-up by its administrators that takes a toll on his own personal life.

Like the thematically similar American movie “Spotlight,” “Silenced” is not an easy movie to casually sit through. Gong Yoo delivers one of the most emotionally searing performances of his career, with his character horrified by what he learns and determined to stop the evil around him. The movie struck a chord with South Korean audiences, with cases associated with the real-life tragedy reopened and the government passing a law to remove statute of limitations for sex crimes involving minors. A haunting look at systemized injustice preying on the especially vulnerable within the school system, “Silenced” is a tensely heartbreaking watch.

Korean cinema doesn’t get enough international recognition for its screwball comedies, with one of its best being 2014’s “Miss Granny.” The movie follows elderly Oh Mal-soon (Na Moon-hee) who frequently clashes with her daughter-in-law Ae-ja (Hwang Jung-min). After having her picture taken in a mysterious photography studio, Mal-soon magically transforms into her younger self (Shim Eun-kyung). Taking advantage of her newly restored youth, Mal-soon enjoys the modern world, including growing closer to her grandson Ban Ji-ha (Jinyoung).

“Miss Granny” is actually directed by “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, showcasing his creative range beyond violent thrillers. Shim Eun-kyung brings a strong blend of humor and heart in her performance as the younger Mal-soon, maintaining her love for her family while appreciating her youth. The movie is tightly scripted, knowing when to deliver fish-out-of-water gags and lean into the familial aspects of its story. A feel-good flick elevated by Hwang’s direction and Shim’s acting, “Miss Granny” is one of the best comedies to come out of Korea in years.

The South Korean entertainment industry has breathed new life into zombie stories, both in television and film. This includes the 2016 horror movie “Train to Busan,” following an express train caught in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The movie centers on divorced father Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) escorting his estranged young daughter to her mother in Busan. After an infected woman boards the train, she spreads the contagion after transforming into a ravenous zombie.

The 2016 film brings a blend of action and social commentary to the zombie genre, while offering a fresh twist on the horrific thrills. The scariest scenes in “Train to Busan” lean into potent dread, masterfully amping up the suspense as characters succumb to the mysterious infection. These scares and heartbreaking plot twists are elevated by a strong ensemble cast, including Gong Yoo and Lee Dong-seok. One of the best zombie movies ever, “Train to Busan” is a tautly delivered horror movie through zombie-infested territory.

A co-production between South Korean and American film studios, celebrated filmmaker Bong Joon-ho weaves a sharp satirical tale with 2017’s “Okja.” The movie has the American Mirando Corporation, headed by Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton), begin genetically engineering super-pigs around the world, including raising one of their experimental swine in South Korea. Teenager Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun) raises a super-pig, Okja, and accompanies him when he is brought to Mirando’s headquarters in New York. While trying to spare Okja from the corporate slaughterhouse, she exposes the malfeasance the company is up to as they combat animal rights activists.

“Okja” is a solid reminder that when Bong Joon-Ho is behind the camera, nothing is left to chance. Bong is quietly crafting a modern fairy tale, albeit one where the evil queens are twin sisters running an amoral conglomerate. The movie is also Bong at his most narratively innocent, depicting much of the story through Mija’s eyes as she embarks on her cross-cultural journey. Retaining Bong Joon-ho’s usual anti-capitalist messaging with his dark sense of humor, “Okja” is another instant classic from the award-winning filmmaker.

Director and screenwriter Yang Woo-suk adapted his own webtoon “Steel Rain” for the 2017 cinematic thriller of the same name. The movie opens with North Korean special forces operator Eom Chul-woo (Jung Woo-sung) assigned a covert mission to kill two internal figures linked to a planned coup attempt. This assassination mission rapidly escalates to reignite North Korean tensions with South Korea and the United States and the risk of open nuclear warfare in the region. As Eom uncovers a larger conspiracy to seize power in Pyongyang, he works with South Korean government official Kwak Chul-woo (Kwak Do-won) to contain the situation.

“Steel Rain” is a taut political thriller that uses the ongoing tension between North Korea and its neighbors as a gripping backdrop. Jung Woo-sung plays an expert killer who finds himself in the middle of something far more pivotal than he anticipated, forming a strong rapport with Kwak Do-won’s character. Yang Woo-suk quickly proves himself in helming the movie’s numerous action set pieces, keeping audiences riveted as the stakes are quickly raised. An explosive thriller that thoroughly utilizes the unique geopolitical situation on the Korean peninsula, “Steel Rain” is a well-crafted action flick.

The 2012 Chinese/Hong Kong crime film “Drug War” was remade for South Korean audiences in 2018 under the title “Believer.” The movie follows police detective Won-ho (Cho Jin-woong) as he pursues a shadowy drug lord known simply as Mr. Lee, whose true identity is shrouded in mystery. Won-ho works with a low-level drug dealer named Seo Young-rak (Ryu Jun-yeol) who has sworn revenge against Lee for the death of his mother. As the investigation gets closer to the elusive drug lord, Won-ho begins to realize his associates aren’t who anticipated them to be.

“Believer” is a captivating and competent Korean crime thriller breathing new life into a familiar genre. Cho Jin-woong brings an unrelenting intensity playing an obsessive detective who is singularly focused on bringing down his longtime nemesis that he can’t see the forest for the trees. Though treading on well-worn ground, the story offers just enough twists and turns to keep the audience on its toes as it moves towards its big finale. An expertly crafted crime thriller, “Believer” received a 2023 sequel which is also available to stream on Netflix.

Filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho’s second live-action feature film, following “Train to Busan,” was 2018’s “Psychokinesis,” this time delving into the superhero genre. The movie centers on unassuming security guard Shin Seok-heon (Ryu Seung-ryong), who gains the powers of telekinesis after unwittingly drinking from a mountain spring affected by a strange meteor. Seok-heon uses his newly developed powers to take on Tae-sun, a mob-run construction company murderously intimidating locals over real estate for a planned project. As Seok-heon grows accustomed to his superhuman abilities, his estranged daughter Shin Roo-mi (Shim Eun-kyung) is targeted by the mob.

“Psychokinesis” is a postmodern take on superheroes at large, complete with its average Joe protagonist and somberly grounded ending. At the same time, the movie knows how to deliver its super-powered thrills and element of wish-fulfillment that comes inherently to the genre. Through it all, the story presents a strong emotional core in the redemptive storyline between Seok-heon and his daughter. Maintaining the expected spectacle with a knowingly silly wink to the audience, “Psychokinesis” is another solid effort from Yeon Sang-ho.

Filmmaker Lee Chung-hyun remade the 2011 British thriller “The Call” in 2020 as a Netflix original movie. While caring for her ailing mother, protagonist Kim Seo-yeon (Park Shin-hye) receives calls from a disconnected phone from Oh Young-sook (Jeon Jong-seo). Realizing that they’re separated by 20 years while calling from the same house, Seo-yeon uses her knowledge of the past to have Young-sook alter history to her benefit. This inadvertently results in Young-sook becoming a deranged serial killer, with the two women’s lives becoming violently intertwined.

Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo play off each other well in this time-bending thriller, with their characters’ dynamic escalating in surprising directions over the course of the movie. Even separated by decades, there is an intense cat-and-mouse game at the core of “The Call,” as the two characters get to know each other better. This leads to a constant set of twists and turns that will leave viewers riveted right until its disturbing final scenes. Quietly one of the best Netflix original thriller movies, “The Call” is a strong effort all around.

If it’s not clear already, we’re big fans of South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho, and judging by the number of his movies available to stream, so is Netflix. Sang-ho directed and co-wrote a standalone sequel to “Train to Busan” with 2020’s “Peninsula,” returning to a world in the throes of a zombie apocalypse. With the Korean peninsula overrun by zombies, former military officer Han Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) accepts a job to recover a truck containing $20 million. However, the attempted extraction is derailed by survivor militias remaining in Korea who capture Jung-seok and his team.

Yeon Sang-ho wisely avoids replicating a similar narrative setup as “Train to Busan,” instead opting to tell a heist story in the zombie-infested setting. This expands the narrative beyond the confines of a single high-speed train but largely retains the action-oriented approach to the horror genre. Yeon’s directorial skills remain as sharp as ever, revisiting his previous story without feeling like he’s treading narrative water. While not as startlingly focused and heartbreaking as “Train to Busan,” “Peninsula” is a worthy follow-up, doubling down on the action amid the zombie stakes.

No, this isn’t the dull John Wick spin-off of the same name. Instead, 2023’s “Ballerina” is a Netflix original action thriller. The movie stars Jeon Jong-seo as Jang Ok-ju, a former bodyguard with expert combat and surveillance training. After one of her friends kills herself, Ok-ju discovers that she was being extorted by a sex trafficker who assaulted her. Using her unique set of skills, Ok-ju moves to get her revenge on the villain, escalating to a showdown with his entire sex trafficking ring.

Tightly focused, “Ballerina” is all killer no filler as it weaves its own revenge tale through the South Korean criminal underworld. The fight sequences are stylishly staged, often backed by an engaging soundtrack that should be familiar to John Wick fans, complete with its neon-soaked environments. Through it all, Jeon Jong-seo provides a magnetic performance that grounds the whole movie, executing the action and drama expertly. Action fans should add this John Wick-inspired movie to their Netflix watchlist for a high-octane ride.

Lee Byung-hyun is one of the most well-known Korean actors in the world, from playing the Front Man in “Squid Game” to starring in Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice.” Among Lee’s more memorable recent movies is 2025’s “The Match,” which revolves around the strategy board game Go. Lee plays real-life Go champion Cho Hun-hyun, who takes young prodigy Lee Chang-ho (Yoo Ah-in) as his protege. This mentor-student dynamic is derailed when the two players turn against each other as Chang-ho grows older.

Even though American audiences might not be familiar with Go and the personalities around it, “The Match” is still an engaging watch. The movie presents the familiar mentor-turned-rival narrative but around a competitive sport that brings a fresh energy to the tropes. And, true to form, Lee Byung-hyun expertly commands every scene he’s in as the master Go player and teacher. A refreshingly unique sports biographical drama, “The Match” breathes new life into a well-worn setup.

The real-life hijacking of a Japanese airliner in 1970 serves as the loose basis for the 2025 dark comedy “Good News.” The movie opens with communist hijackers redirecting an airliner full of passengers from Tokyo to fly towards Pyongyang in an effort to muster support to overthrow the Japanese government. After learning of this development, the South Korean government tricks the hijackers to land in Seoul, disguising the local airport to resemble Pyongyang in an effort to rescue the hostages. However, the South Koreans attempt to leverage the incident to gain political capital over Japan is complicated when the hijackers discover the elaborate ruse.

Blending elements of an action thriller and political satire all at once, “Good News” is an entertainingly offbeat comedy. Balancing those disparate tones is meticulous attention from filmmaker Byun Sung-hyun, who co-wrote the movie in addition to directing it. The ensemble cast similarly brings that nuanced, multilayered quality to their performances, led by Sul Kyung-gu playing a South Korean agent leading the deception. A funny inversion of a real world incident, “Good News” is powered by sharp satire with a surprisingly broad appeal.