Korean films, Q4 2024: the quarter in review

Released on December 24. In 1909, Ahn Jung-geun (Hyun Bin) and his comrades in the independence army head to Harbin to strike down Ito Hirobumi (Lily Franky), pursued by the Japanese army and dogged by suspicions of an informer in their ranks. Woo Min-ho directed, with Park Jeong-min (Woo Deok-soon), Jo Woo-jin (Kim Sang-hyun), Jeon Yeo-been (Madam Gong), Park Hoon (Mori Tatsuo), Yoo Jae-myung (Choi Jae-hyung) and Lee Dong-wook (Lee Chang-seop) in the cast. Ahead of its release, it premiered on September 8 in the Gala Presentations section of the 49th Toronto International Film Festival.

It drew 381,251 viewers on opening day. Of its 4.91 million total admissions, 2.75 million came in 2024 and 2.15 million in 2025. Cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo won the Grand Prize in the film division at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, and the film also won Best Film.

Released on December 4. Firefighters from the Seobu Fire Station, called out every day despite poor working conditions, head to the scene of a fire in Hongje-dong. Based on the true story of a 2001 house fire in Hongje-dong, it was written and directed by Kwak Kyung-taek, with Joo Won (Choi Chul-woong), Kwak Do-won (Jin-seop), Yoo Jae-myung (In-gi), Lee Yoo-young (Seo-hee), Kim Min-jae (Yong-tae), Oh Dae-hwan (Hyo-jong) and Lee Joon-hyuk (Gi-cheol) in the cast.

Of its 3.85 million total admissions, 3.31 million came in 2024 and 540,000 in 2025. By cumulative admissions as of August 2026, it ranks second among Korean films released in December 2024, behind Harbin. On Netflix, it ranked No. 8 worldwide among non-English films in the chart week of March 31–April 6, 2025.

A film released on Netflix on October 11. Amid the chaos of the Imjin War, the son of a military family and the servant he grew up with go their separate ways, one becoming an officer close to the king and the other joining a righteous army, and meet again. Kim Sang-man directed from a screenplay by Shin Chul and Park Chan-wook, with Gang Dong-won (Cheon-yeong), Park Jeong-min (Lee Jong-ryeo), Cha Seung-won (King Seonjo), Kim Shin-rok (Beom-dong), Jin Seon-kyu (Kim Ja-ryeong) and Jung Sung-il in the cast.

Ahead of its release, it first screened on October 2 as the opening film of the 29th Busan International Film Festival. On Netflix it spent four weeks, October 7 to November 3, in the global Top 10 for non-English films, peaking at No. 3, with peak weekly views of 8.3 million. At the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards it won Best New Actor (Jung Sung-il), Best Screenplay (Shin Chul and Park Chan-wook) and the Technical Award (Cho Young-Wuk, music), making it the most-awarded film in the film division that year.

Released on November 20 with an adults-only rating. After cellist Su-yeon (Cho Yeo-jeong), the fiancée of conductor Seong-jin (Song Seung-heon), disappears leaving only a video message, a new cellist, Mi-ju (Park Ji-hyun), steps into the space she left. A remake of the 2011 Spanish-Colombian film The Hidden Face, it was directed by Kim Dae-woo.

With 1.01 million admissions in total, it became the first adults-only Korean film since 2019 to pass 1 million admissions.

Released on October 1. A story of friendship in which the free-spirited Jae-hee (Kim Go-eun) and Heung-soo (Noh Sang-hyun), who is keeping a secret, become roommates and spend their 20s together, from age 20 to 30. Adapted from “Jaehee,” one of the linked stories in Park Sang-young's Love in the Big City, it was directed by E Oni from a screenplay by Kim Na-deul.

Ahead of its release, it premiered on September 13 in the Special Presentations section of the 49th Toronto International Film Festival, and it was sold to 45 countries overseas. Its total of 870,000 admissions fell short of its reported break-even point (about 1.4 million). Noh Sang-hyun won Best New Actor at the 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Released on October 16. Successful lawyer Jae-wan (Sol Kyung-gu), his younger brother Jae-gyu (Jang Dong-gun), a principled doctor, and their wives clash at their regular family dinner after learning that their children may have committed a crime. Based on Herman Koch's novel The Dinner, it was directed by Hur Jin-ho from a screenplay by Park Eun-kyo and Park Jun-seok. Kim Hee-ae plays Yeon-kyung and Claudia Kim (Soo-hyun) plays Ji-soo.

It premiered on September 14, 2023, in the Gala Presentations section of the 48th Toronto International Film Festival, and opened in Korea more than a year later. Originally scheduled for October 9, its release was pushed back to October 16. It won Best Screenplay in the Directors' Week section of Fantasporto, and Claudia Kim won Best Supporting Actress at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards. It drew 650,000 admissions in total.