5 Korean Horror Gems That Will Chill You to the Bone

Japanese horror movies were popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but in the 21st century, Korean horror films are proving that all of Asia knows how to scare people.

In 2024, Korean horror films have taken their rightful place in the pantheon of Asian horror alongside their pioneering Japanese brethren.

1. The Ghost Station, 2022

The young journalist Na-young is on the hunt for sensational material to prove herself to her superiors. A friend who works in the subway tells her about strange events that happen on the old platform of the Oksu station.

Na-young interviews eyewitnesses of a man's recent suicide and learns that a mysterious child, who appeared out of nowhere, was sitting on the tracks. The more the journalist learns about Oksu, the more she understands that the place is cursed.

2. The Priests, 2015

Father Kim used to perform exorcisms with a partner, but his colleague ended up in the hospital. The spirit of a dead person enters high school student Young-shin.

As his assistant, Father Kim chooses Deacon Choi, who is still struggling with the death of his sister. If the deacon does not learn to deal with his fears, he could easily become the next victim of the evil spirit.

3. The Wailing, 2016

In the remote village of Gokseong, surrounded by impenetrable forests, people are beginning to develop ulcers, attack their neighbors and loved ones, and then die in terrible agony. According to the locals, either a mysterious visiting Japanese hermit or poisonous mushrooms are to blame. Policeman Jong-goo turns a blind eye until his daughter is covered with ulcers.

For two and a half hours, strange rituals take place in the forest, crazy people with red eyes choke on blood, and the police do not know what to do.

The director confidently keeps the audience in suspense, forcing them to guess what is really going on in Gokseong. Is the village cursed? Is it an epidemic that turns people into zombies?

4. The Thirst, 2009

Catholic priest Sang-hyun wants to help people, so he goes to a laboratory where the scientists are trying to find a vaccine against a wild African virus. A few months later, the volunteer returns to his congregation, while also getting closer to the family of a childhood friend who is bullying his wife.

After a medical experiment, Sang-hyun flies at night and feeds on blood intended for transfusions in the hospital.

Making an original vampire horror movie in the 21st century is no easy task. The director tells the story of a bloodsucker's suffering, betrayal, and the priest's tug-of-war between science and faith.

5. A Tale of Two Sisters, 2003

After the death of their mother, the sisters Bae Su-mi and Bae Su-yeon were sent to a mental hospital for a long time. In the absence of his daughters, their father Bae Moo-hyeon married Heo Eun-joo. The sisters return home, where the situation becomes tense. Heo takes tranquilizers, and at night she hears strange noises.

The film became the highest grossing Korean horror movie in history at the time of its release. The director traps viewers with a dysfunctional family in an old house filled with antique furniture, paintings and figurines. A Tale of Two Sisters intrigues with inexplicable events, and the number of mysteries grows with each passing minute.