Advertisement

Advertisement

TOPIC

Asian cinema: Korean films

Asian cinema: Korean films

From the stylish blockbusters of Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho to art-house gems by Hong Sang-soo and Kim Ki-duk, this is the place to go for reviews, interviews and features about movies both classic and new from South Korea.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM

An image from The Pig’s Menu, an ink and watercolour manuscript created by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in Algiers in 1944. Photo: courtesy Collection of the Saint-Exupéry-d’Agay Estate

Exhibition sheds new light on The Little Prince and its author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

For the 80th anniversary of its publication in France, an exhibition about the book and its aristocratic author adds new layers to the classic tale and the remarkable man behind it.

Reading Time:2 minutes

South Asia curry specials at Curry Room. Photo: courtesy Curry Room

Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from Curry Room to Canto-American Lazy Suzy

Reading Time:2 minutes

The historic salinas, or salt flats, of Pedra de Lume, Cabo Verde. Photo: Troy Nahumko

Cabo Verde’s sun-soaked Sal sees a revival through a generation of returnees

Reading Time:8 minutes

Philip Chan. Photo: Alexander Mak

From riots to recording studios: Philip Chan’s Hong Kong journey

Reading Time:5 minutes

Kinley Tshering paints a thangka of Vajrakilaya, a wrathful deity of Vajrayana Buddhism, Bhutan’s state religion, at the Exotic Art Gallery, in Punakha district, Bhutan. Photo: Jen Paolini

Bhutan’s heritage arts become the frontline of cultural preservation as modernity dawns

Reading Time:11 minutes

The “Oyster Story”
exhibition in Shanghai. Photo: Rolex/Anthony Reed

Rolex Oyster: From English Channel to Shanghai, a century of innovation

Reading Time:4 minutes

MORE IN POSTMAG

Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications

Veteran actor Choi Min-sik has made an enduring impact on Korean cinema and television through works such as the 2003 film Oldboy and, more recently, the Netflix series Notes from the Last Row. Photo: Ji Sang Chung

‘Oldboy’ Choi Min-sik on revenge, craft and Notes from the Last Row

Choi Min-sik points out parallels between 2003’s Oldboy and his new role in Netflix series Notes from the Last Row.

7 Jul 2026 - 10:32AMvideocam

TV shows and streaming video

Review | Human Vapor: Shun Oguri, Yu Aoi anchor Netflix’s bold sci-fi thriller reboot

29 Jun 2026 - 7:00AMvideocam

From the Vault: culturally significant films

30 Jun 2026 - 11:09AM

What’s showing this year at Asia’s top genre film festival BiFan?

The 2026 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival boasts a formidable programme of horror, action, science fiction and fantasy titles.

24 Jun 2026 - 7:15PM

Ryu Seung-yon in a still from the Korean comedy Extreme Job (2019), one of the many movies showing at the 2026 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, in South Korea.

Profile | Meet Park Ji-hyun, star of Flex X Cop and See You at Work Tomorrow!

After making a late start in acting, Park quickly rose to the top playing layered characters in K-dramas from Yumi’s Cells to Reborn Rich.

13 Jun 2026 - 12:45PM

American cinema

The rise of liminal space horror movies like Backrooms and Exit 8

Box-office hit Backrooms highlights a growing obsession with eerie liminal spaces like hallways, alleyways and empty shopping centres.

3 Jun 2026 - 3:15PMvideocam

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

How Colony features a new kind of zombie to reflect modern fears

Director Yeon Sang-ho of Train to Busan fame explains how AI and social media anxiety inspired the zombies in his new horror film.

19 May 2026 - 8:55PMvideocam

A still from Colony.

Review | Hope: director Na Hong-jin of The Wailing fame returns with a monster mess

A promising beginning and strong performances are not enough to save Hope from being a messy spectacle with woeful CGI monsters.

18 May 2026 - 1:47PMvideocam

Profile | Who is Cha Eun-woo, K-pop idol starring in Netflix K-drama The Wonderfools?

Since his 2014 debut, the ‘Face Genius’ has embodied a fantasy figure in many roles. His latest hits screens as he performs military service.

16 May 2026 - 12:45PM

Review | Colony: Jun Ji-hyun returns in slick but empty zombie thriller

Jun Ji-hyun stars as a biotech professor battling bloodthirsty zombies in Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho’s new film.

16 May 2026 - 9:00AMvideocam

Jun Ji-hyun as biotech professor Kwon Se-jeong in a still from Colony (category IIB, Korean), directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Koo Kyo-hwan and Ji Chang-wook co-star.

How The King’s Warden sold 16 million tickets and saved the Korean box office

Producer Lim Eun-jung, director Jang Hang-jun and actor Yoo Hae-jin explain why the historical drama struck a chord with Korean audiences.

12 May 2026 - 5:15PMvideocam

Yoo Hae-jin in a still from The King’s Warden, which has revitalised a sluggish Korean film industry.

Fame and celebrity

Meet Seoyeon Jang, who plays Eunice in Netflix’s Beef Season 2

The latest season of Beef stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Charles Melton – but what do you know about Seoyeon Jang, who plays Eunice?

24 Apr 2026 - 6:00PM

Profile | Who is Byeon Woo-seok, IU’s co-star in romance K-drama Perfect Crown?

Coming to prominence in shows like Record of Youth and Strong Girl Nam-soon, Byeon Woo-seok returns this weekend in a hotly anticipated role.

11 Apr 2026 - 3:15PM

Review | Humint: dynamic Korean spy thriller from Ryoo Seung-wan on Netflix

Starring Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min and Park Hae-joon, Humint rewards patient viewers with some of the best heroic bloodshed in recent times.

31 Mar 2026 - 11:46PMvideocam

Zo In-sung (right) in a still from Humint, a Korean spy movie from director Ryoo Seung-wan that is now streaming on Netflix.

The 10 most-watched Korean films of all time, including The King’s Warden

Can The King’s Warden overtake The Admiral: Roaring Currents and Extreme Job to become the most-viewed South Korean film of all time?

24 Mar 2026 - 5:15PMvideocam

Park Ji-hoon (second from left) and Yoo Hae-jin in a still from The King’s Warden, which is fast becoming one of South Korea’s most popular films at the box office.

Profile | Who is Seo In-guk, star of Netflix K-drama Boyfriend on Demand?

From his musical beginnings to his breakout role in Reply 1997 to his turn in Boyfriend on Demand, Seo In-guk stands out for his versatility.

14 Mar 2026 - 4:15PM

Profile | Who is Shin Hye-sun, star of Netflix K-drama The Art of Sarah?

Breaking out in 2016’s Five Enough, Shin Hye-sun has gone on to make her mark in series including Mr. Queen and Welcome to Samdal-ri.

14 Feb 2026 - 5:15PM

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

What is it like to win the lottery? These 10 Asian movies have the answers

Winning the lottery can change your life forever, for good or bad. These 10 films from across Asia explore luck, wealth and greed.

11 Feb 2026 - 6:15PMvideocam

Bill Tung and Lydia Sum (first and second from right) play the heads of a materialistic Hong Kong family in the Lunar New Year comedy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World (1987). Photo: D & B Films Co

The 10 most successful Korean art-house films of all time

As Yoon Ga-eun’s The World of Love hits Hong Kong cinemas, we look at Korean indie films that conquered the box office as well as festivals.

27 Jan 2026 - 4:15PMvideocam

Why M+ and Chanel are bringing rare Asian avant-garde films to Mubi

Streaming platform Mubi teams up with Hong Kong’s M+ museum and Chanel to put the spotlight on 10 films, including a John Woo short.

22 Jan 2026 - 4:51PM

Profile | Who is Go Youn-jung, rising star of Netflix’s Can This Love Be Translated?

After starting out as a model, Go rose to K-drama stardom in series such as Alchemy of Souls and Moving. Now she leads her first romcom.

17 Jan 2026 - 5:15PM

Go Youn-jung in a still from Can This Love Be Translated?. Photo: No Ju-han/Netflix.

Loved Back to the Past? 10 Asian time travel gems you may also enjoy

After the success of Louis Koo’s Back to the Past, here are 10 other Asian time-travelling movies that are well worth checking out.

15 Jan 2026 - 7:15PMvideocam

Louis Koo in a still from Back to the Past. In celebration of the film’s success, here are 10 more of the best examples of big-screen time-travel escapism from across Asia.

Korean film icon Ahn Sung-ki remembered: 5 of his best films

Known affectionately as ‘The Nation’s Actor’, South Korea’s Ahn Sung-ki starred in more than 100 feature films during his long career.

5 Jan 2026 - 7:45PMvideocam

South Korean ‘nation’s actor’ Ahn Sung-ki dies at 74

Ahn collected over 40 major movie awards in his lifetime, including winning the Grand Bell Awards for best actor five times.

5 Jan 2026 - 3:58PM

The 12 best Asian films of 2025: Ne Zha 2, Kokuho and more

Our pick of the best Asian films of the past year includes a record-breaking animation and a movie that is nothing short of breathtaking.

30 Dec 2025 - 4:15PMvideocam

Ryo Yoshizawa in a still from Kokuho, one of the Post’s best Asian films of the past year. Photo: Shuichi Yoshida/ASP

Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Two Seasons, Two Strangers: a hypnotic ode to writing and travel

Starring Shim Eun-kyung and Yuumi Kawai, Japanese drama Two Seasons, Two Strangers is both fascinating and beautiful.

15 Dec 2025 - 8:15PMvideocam

Yuumi Kawai in a still from Two Seasons, Two Strangers

Profile | Who is Kim Woo-bin, star of K-dramas Our Blues and Genie, Make a Wish?

Kim Woo-bin, who is marrying fellow K-drama star Shin Min-a this month, has proved he has the acting chops to match his good looks.

13 Dec 2025 - 12:15PM

Want to find solace in film? 10 movies that may offer catharsis and hope

Following last week’s tragic fire at a Tai Po estate in Hong Kong, we look at films in which humanity endures through the darkest of hours.

1 Dec 2025 - 6:15PMvideocam

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement