One of the best ways to immerse yourself in Korean history is through film. The country has already released many well-produced movies with insightful as well as mind-blowing storylines. Some of them evolve around the brave acts of citizens, others expose disturbing events that sparked social issues or can also describe the experiences of Korean emigrants. While those might be different from romcoms or other fiction plots, such productions can help us develop our interest in Korea and get to know its different sides. Here are 8 movies based on true stories you can’t miss out on: Note: Some of the listed movies might be triggering to certain viewers, due to the real, shocking cases they reflect.
1. “Silenced”
When: 2011 Cast: Gong Yoo, Jung YuMi, Kim HyunSoo, Jung InSeo Summary: Kang InHo (Gong Yoo) gets appointed at a school for hearing-impaired children. After finding out that the students are sexually abused by the faculty staff, he tries to expose the scandal and protect the kids. The true story: The movie is based on the novel “The Crucible” which exposed the real events that happened in Gwangju InHwa School for Deaf in the early 2000s. The release of the movie sparked an active conversation in the whole country, which eventually led to a reinforcement of new rigorous punishments in terms of minor sexual abuse.
2. “A Taxi Driver”
When: 2017 Cast: Song KangHo, Thomas Kretschmann, Yu HaeIn, Ryu JunYeol Summary: Financially struggling taxi driver stumbles upon a foreigner who’s willing to pay a huge amount of money for a fare to GwangJu. Little does the driver know that his passenger is actually a reporter and they’re both to enter a city overtaken by an uprising. The true story: It tells the true story of the lives of Jürgen Hinzpeter - a German reporter, and Kim SaBok - a Seoul-based taxi driver, involved in the 1980 GwangJu Democratization Movement.
3. “Minari”
When: 2022 Cast: Steven Yeun, Youn YuhJung, Han YeRi, Alan S. Kim, Noel Cho Summary: A Korean-American family moves to Arkansas from California in search of a new better life. During their struggles to achieve the American dream, they realize the true meaning of “home”. The true story: The plot is a reflection of the childhood memories of the movie’s director Lee Isaac Chung. It can be considered a semi-autobiography since it is focused on picturing the general experience of Korean emigrants, rather than a real story of the creator’s past.
4. “The Last Princess”
When: 2016 Cast: Son YeJin, Park HaeIl, Kim SoHyun Summary: After the death of King of JoSeon, his daughter - a Korean princess, is taken to Japan as a hostage. As the country is overtaken by Japanese colonialists she struggles to find her way back home and help Korea regain its independence. The true story: Based on the novel “Princess DeokHye” by Kwon BiYoung. The movie covers the life of the last princess of the Korean Empire and the Japanese Colonial Rule (1910-1945), introducing some fictional elements.
5. “Midnight”
When: 2021 Cast: Jin KiJoo, Wi HaJun, Park Hoon, Gil HaeYeon, Kim HyeYoon Summary: KyunMi is a deaf woman, who works as a sign language interpreter. One day after leaving work, she witnesses a girl getting murdered. After that, she becomes a new target of the serial killer. The true story: The main villain character was inspired by Yoo YoungChul - a famous South Korean serial killer, known as “the raincoat killer”. He killed over 20 victims and ate some of them.
6. “Han GongJu”
When: 2014 Cast: Chun WooHee, Jung InSun, Chae SoYoung Summary: GongJu transfers to a new school, where despite her insular impression, she manages to make new friends and starts to adapt to the new place. The girl’s calm life does not last really long as her terrifying and heartbreaking past reached her back. True story: The plot revolves around the 2004 MiRyang middle school gang rape case when 41 school boys raped several different girls over the period of 11 months.
7. “Hope”
When: 2013 Cast: Lee Re, Sol KyungGu, Uhm JiWon Summary: An 8-year-old girl is brutally raped by a strange man on her way to school. After the event, the minor is overwhelmed by the trauma which becomes a challenge also for her parents, who try to bring their daughter back on the bright side. The true story: The actual events happen in 2018 when an 8-year-old girl known by the press name “NaYoung” was beaten and sexually assaulted by a drunk pedophile Choo DooSoon in a church restroom. After the violent act, the man was given a mitigated sentence of 12 years in prison due to his mental state, despite being involved in several rape cases.
8. “My First Client”
When: 2019 Cast: Lee DongHwi, Choi MyungBin, Lee JooWon, Yoo Sun Summary: JeongYeop is a young man dreaming about getting a job at a law firm in Seoul. When he finally achieves his goal, a 10-year-old girl calls him to confess she killed her little brother. The true story: The movie depicts the child abuse case from Chilgok, 2013. The stepmother of the 2 girls, first brutally beat one of them to death and then forced the other one to admit to committing the murder. Which one of the stories shocked you the most? Which movies are you adding to your watch list? The Movie “Midnight” (2021) Is An Underrated Masterpiece, Here Is Why KDRAMA STORIES|Mar 4, 2022 6 Korean Romance Movies To Binge With Your Besties At A Sleepover KDRAMA STORIES|Jul 25, 2022 5 Korean Movies To Get You Into The Halloween Mood KDRAMA STORIES|Oct 12, 2021
