The Chosun Ilbo published an interesting article about the growing popularity of Korean movies:

In Japan’s all-time blockbuster list, there are three films that were produced before the 1990s. In the U.S. chart, there are two. In Korea’s case, the oldest film in the Top 10 list, “Swiri,” was released in 1999. That mirrors the development of the industry in Korea, where multiplexes did not arrive until 1998. It is also related to the fact that “Swiri” was the first Korean movie that attracted the international spotlight for its commercial potential. One look at the lists shows that Korea’s film industry is hotter and more dynamic than those of Japan and the U.S. Koreans love the Korean movies that are gaining increasing recognition from international critics.

I would have to say that Korean movies are getting better and better and I do enjoy watching them. Here is the current Korean movie all time top 10 list:

Top Ten Korean Movies at the Korean Box Office

Rank / Title / Tickets Sold
1. Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War / 11.75 million
2. Silmido / 11.08 million
3. Friend / 8.20 million
4. Welcome to Dongmakgol / 6.58 million as of Sept. 8
5. Joint Security Area / 5.82 million
6. Swiri / 5.80 million
7. Memories of Murder / 5.21 million
8. Marathon / 5.18 million
9. My Wife is a Gangster / 5.07 million
10. Marrying the Mafia / 5.02 million

The movie I have saw in that list I liked the most was, Memories of Murder. It was a suspenseful movie about Korea’s first serial killer, made more shocking by the ending. Plus like many great Korean movies, it is a true story. Some other movies in the list I have saw and enjoyed is Silmido, which is another true story about a secret South Korean commando team that wowed audiences a couple years ago. JSA and Swiri are two older but definite must sees. Taeguki, a movie about two brothers fighting in the Korean War, is the movie that has recently put Korean cinema on the map internationally. Friend is a gangster movie but has a great story line and characters that make this movie much more than just your typical gangster flick. Finally My Wife is Gangster is a fun movie to watch with its high flying martial arts action.

I was a little surprised that Old Boy didn’t make the list but the movie did take time to build in popularity in Korea. It only became more popular in Korea after the attention it received internationally. Old Boy is for people who like a really smart, plot twisting movie. Another movie I was also little surprised didn’t make the list was Musa. Musa is every bit as entertaining as Gladiator and features the beautiful Chinese actress Zhang Zi Yi.

So if you are interested in seeing Korean movies the above list gives you a good place to start. Korean video stores are scattered all over Korea and you can rent these movies on DVD that feature English subtitles. Just make sure you have an all region DVD player and you will be good to go. So go check out what the Korean cinema has to offer. I guarantee you it will be better than watching the Fantastic Four.