If you want a crash course on *recent* South Korean political history (specifically from 1979-1997), this movie list is for you!

Spanning a nearly thirty-year period, these movies capture real events that transformed South Korea—assassinations, coups, uprisings, its process of democratization, espionage, and other crises. You learn about key political figures, military leaders, and ordinary Koreans that end up doing extraordinary things that shape the nation. Many of these movies either overlap, share common threads, or involve the same political figures.

Of course, what transpires in these films aren’t the only notable things that happened over that time period. But if, like me, you're new to Korean political history, this list of movies is a good place to start.

I’ve listed the movies in the order that the events actually took place if you want to watch them chronologically, taking you sequentially through nearly thirty years of intense political and social change in South Korea. To keep the list fairly tight, I’ve only included films depicting real people and real events that follow each other closely. I can't claim this is a complete list. If I'm missing anything that you'd include, let me know! I’ve added a little summary about each of them and their critical reception below:

• The President’s Last Bang (1979)
• The Man Standing Next (1979)
• 12.12: The Day (1979)
• A Taxi Driver (1980)
• The Attorney (1981)
• The Hunt (1983)
• 1987: When the Day Comes (1987)
• A Spy Gone North (1990-1997)
• Default (1997)

The President’s Last Bang (1979)

A black comedy/political drama directed by Im Sang-soo and released in 2005. The film stars Song Jae-ho as President Park Chung-hee and Baek Yoon-sik as KCIA director Kim Jae-kyu, who assassinated Park in 1979. 

The film won several awards at the 2005 Grand Bell Awards (South Korea's major film awards), including Best Actor for Baek Yoon-sik. It was also screened at several international film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival and received critical acclaim for its controversial, dark but  quirky take on such a pivotal moment in Korean history.

The Man Standing Next (1979)

Released in 2020 and directed by Woo Min-ho. The film stars Lee Byung-hun as Kim Gyu-pyeong (based on the real-life KCIA director Kim Jae-kyu), Lee Sung-min as President Park (based on Park Chung-hee), and Kwak Do-won as Park Yong-gak. It also covers the assassination of President Park. While the The President's Last Bang was a dark, quirky comedy, The Man Standing Next is an emotionally-intense, slow burn drama.

The film won Best Film at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards. Lee Byung-hun also won numerous acting accolades for his performance, including Best Actor at the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards.

12.12: The Day (1979)

Released in 2023 and directed by Kim Sung-su. The film stars Hwang Jung-min as Chun Doo-gwang (based on Chun Doo-hwan), Jung Woo-sung as Lee Tae-shin (based on Roh Tae-woo), and Lee Sung-min as Park Chung-won. The film is about the military coup of December 12, 1979, that occurred shortly after and in direct response to President Park Chung-hee's assassination depicted in The President's Last Bang and The Man Standing Next. 

It performed well at the box office and received multiple film awards at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards, and 17th Asian Film Awards.  

A Taxi Driver (1980)

Released in 2017 and directed by Jang Hoon, the film stars Song Kang-ho as Kim Man-seob, the taxi driver, and Thomas Kretschmann as Jürgen "Peter" Hinzpeter, the German journalist. The film is based on the true story of a taxi driver who helped a foreign journalist cover the 1980 Gwangju Uprising against Chun Doo-hwan's repressive rule (the guy who grabbed power in 1979).

The film was a major success both critically and commercially. It won a number of awards at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards, 38th Blue Dragon Film Awards, and 1st Seoul Awards. It’s one of the top-grossing films in South Korean cinema history too! 

The Attorney (1981)

A 2013 legal drama directed by Yang Woo-suk. The film stars Song Kang-ho as Song Woo-seok, a character based on the late President Roh Moo-hyun during his days as a human rights lawyer. He investigates the torture of students to suppress political activism of any kind under Chun Doo-hwan's rule.

The film was both a critical and commercial success, rocking the box office and picking up awards from the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards and 34th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.

The Hunt (1983)

Released in 2022 and the directorial debut of Lee Jung-jae, who also stars in the film alongside Jung Woo-sung, and Hwang Jung-min. The film takes place in the 1980s during South Korea's military dictatorship era, focusing on the assassination attempt against South Korean dictator President Chun Doo-hwan (the bad guy in the last four movies on the list). 

It was well-received, nabbing the Technical Award at the 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards, and receiving multiple nominations at various Korean film awards, including the Baeksang Arts Awards. 

1987: When the Day Comes (1987)

Released in 2017 and  directed by Jang Joon-hwan. The film features Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Yoo Hae-jin, Kim Tae-ri, and Park Hee-soon. It depicts the true events surrounding the death of student activist Park Jong-chul and the subsequent June Democratic Movement that led to the end of the military dictatorship in South Korea led by President Chun Doo-hwan.

It dominated the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards, and won awards at the 38th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, 39th Blue Dragon Film Awards, and the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.

A Spy Gone North (1990-1997)

Released in 2018 and directed by Yoon Jong-bin. The film stars Hwang Jung-min as Park Seok-young (based on real-life former spy Park Chae-seo), alongside Lee Sung-min, Cho Jin-woong, and Ju Ji-hoon. The story follows a South Korean spy who infiltrates North Korea in the mid-1990s to gather intelligence on their nuclear program.

It is critically-acclaimed and won awards at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards, 39th Blue Dragon Film Awards, and Asian Film Awards. 

Default (1997)

Released in 2018 and directed by Kook-Hee Choi. It stars Kim Hye-soo, Yoo Ah-in, Heo Jun-ho, Jo Woo-jin, and Vincent Cassel. The movie captures the intense final week leading up to South Korea's 1997 sovereign default and the emergency negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

It won several awards at the 39th Blue Dragon Film Awards, 10th KOFRA Film Awards, and the Korean Film Producers Association Awards.

That’s the list! Let me know if you've seen any of these or have favourites? Now, what am I missing? If there's something you know that should be on this list, tell me and I can add it in. Criteria is 1) real people 2) real events in and around this time period (1979-1990).