Top 6 Korean Films for Language Learning for Students

Want to learn Korean? If so, watching Korean films is one of the most fun and effortless ways to boost your understanding of the language!

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But not all films are great for all language learners. Some are suitable for beginners, while others require an intermediate or even advanced level of fluency to be enjoyable.

To help you make your choice, let's break down the top six Korean films for language learning based on your current fluency in Korean.

Don't have enough time for watching Korean films between attending classes, doing homework, and hanging out with friends? You can always turn to an essay writer to make time for it! If you're thinking, "Who can do my paper?", rest assured that there are professional writers available to help you out. And while your chosen expert is hard at work, check out one of these six Korean films.

"Train to Busan" (2016)

• Director: Yeon Sang-ho
• Genre: action, horror, thriller
• Suitable for levels: pre-intermediate and up

What if you were riding a train from Seoul to Busan when the zombie outbreak started? That's the situation the passengers of the KTX fast train found themselves in. Now, Seok-woo and his daughter, Soo-an, will have to fight for their survival.

If you're a fan of the zombie genre but think that Hollywood exhausted its creativity in it, "Train to Busan"  is a must-watch for you. The movie focuses on how people react to threats, be it zombies or anything else, making it a quality character-driven experience.

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"Train to Busan" is directed by Yeon Sang-ho, and features Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Kim Eui-sung, Choi Wooshik. Release date in Korea: 2016/07/20.

 

"My Sassy Girl" (2001)

• Director: Kwak Jae-yong
• Genre: comedy, drama, romance
• Suitable for levels: beginner and up

After he gets shamed into helping an unnamed girl at a Seoul metro station, Kyeon-woo finds himself in increasingly weirder situations that the said girl gets him into. However, he's not willing to let her go yet, all because of the deep sense of responsibility - even though he probably should.

If you're looking for a rom-com to entertain you, "My Sassy Girl"  is a classic that will have you laugh all film long. And while one of the best paper writing services  is taking care of your homework, the film will have you wondering about one thing, too. How could Kyun-woo tolerate all that ?

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"My Sassy Girl" is directed by Kwak Jae-yong, and features Jun Ji-hyun, Cha Tae-hyun, Kim In-moon, Song Ok-sook, Han Jin-hee, Hyun Sook-hee. Release date in Korea: 2001/07/27.

 

"Parasite" (2019)

• Director: Bong Joon-ho
• Genre: drama, thriller
• Suitable for levels: intermediate and up

Meet the Kims - a low-income family of four living in a half-basement flat that regularly gets flooded. Gi-woo, the son of Choong-sook and Gi-taek dreams of getting out of poverty. And when the opportunity presents itself in the form of tutoring his wealthy friend Min, he grips onto it with both hands - and so do the rest of the Kims.

"Parasite" is an acclaimed thriller with social commentary on the wealth gap and class inequalities. It won an Oscar as the best motion picture of 2020 - the first for a film in a foreign language.

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"Parasite" is directed by Bong Joon-ho, and features Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Wooshik, Park So-dam, Lee Jung-eun. Release date in Korea: 2019/05/30.

 

 

"Oldboy" (2003)

• Director: Park Chan-wook
• Genre: action, drama, mystery
• Suitable for levels: intermediate and up

The routine life of an obnoxious drunk, Oh Dae-su, gets interrupted one night in 1988. Abducted, he wakes up in a windowless room, where he spends the next 15 years. Suddenly released out of captivity, he has one thing on his mind: finding the person behind his imprisonment.

"Oldboy" is a classic that became a cult film far beyond the borders of South Korea. However, if you watch films to relax, you should probably forego this one - it'll have you tense until the credits start rolling.

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"Oldboy" is directed by Park Chan-wook, and features Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung, Kim Byung-ok, Oh Dal-soo, Lee Seung-shin. Release date in Korea: 2003/11/21.

 

"How to Steal a Dog" (2014)

• Director: Kim Seong-ho
• Genre: crime, drama, family
• Suitable for levels: beginner and up

When Ji-so's family loses their house after her dad's bankruptcy, the young girl comes up with a seemingly brilliant plan. She decides to steal rich folks' dogs and return them to their owners in exchange for reward money.

"How to Steal a Dog"  is a heartwarming story about a family that will earn a few laughs. It's also a great peek behind the curtains into the life of ordinary South Koreans (except for the stealing dogs part, of course), making it a must-watch if you plan to travel to Korea as an exchange student.

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"How to Steal a Dog" is directed by Kim Seong-ho, and features Lee Re, Lee Ji-won-I, Hong Eun-taek, Kim Hye-ja, Choi Min-soo, Kang Hye-jung. Release date in Korea: 2014/12/31.

 

 

 

"The Thieves" (2012)

• Director: Choi Dong-hoon
• Genre: action, comedy, crime
• Suitable for levels: pre-intermediate and up

After a heist that drew some heat, a group of Korean thieves go to Macau to lay low. But when a former partner offers them to steal a diamond worth $20 million, the group can't pass up on the opportunity - even though the brain behind the plan is hardly a trustworthy person.

If you're a fan of heist movies, "The Thieves"  will keep you thoroughly entertained. It has everything you may expect from a heist movie - action, comedy, some drama, and, of course, plot twists.

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"The Thieves" is directed by Choi Dong-hoon, and features Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jung-jae, Jun Ji-hyun, Simon Yam, Kim Hae-sook. Release date in Korea: 2012/07/25.

In Conclusion

If you're striving to speak Korean as well as a native speaker, watching Korean films is one of the most efficient ways to achieve this level of language proficiency. However, keep in mind: if you rely too much on the English subtitles, you may not learn a thing. So, after some time, you'll need to turn off those subtitles - instead, put on the Korean ones.

And, of course, remember that knowing a language means not only understanding it in speaking or writing - it also means expressing your thoughts in it. So, practice your Korean speaking or writing skills, online or in person!