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I genuinely believe that Korean cinema invented horror, and once you’ve watched even one of the movies in this post, you’ll completely understand me.
This time around, I’ve listed some of the most scary, downright terrifying, horror Korean movies you need to watch ASAP.
There’s everything from dystopian terrors to psychological frights that will keep you up all night – you don’t want to miss them.
1. Train To Busan
Seok Woo, his distant daughter Soo An, and fellow passengers find themselves stuck on a high-speed KTX train from Seoul to Busan amidst a catastrophic virus outbreak in South Korea.
You’ll see Gong Yoo in all his majesty in this dystopian horror Korean movie, and trust me when I say you’re going to get the chills.
2. The Wailing
In a peaceful village, mysterious deaths linked to poisonous wild mushrooms have the police eyeing an older Japanese man.
Officer Jong Goo’s doubts about the man’s innocence grow when a witness connects him to the crimes.
Meanwhile, Jong Goo’s daughter falls ill, mirroring the victims.
Desperate, he rushes to the suspect’s mountain home during an ongoing exorcism, and you really don’t want to miss this movie if you’re in the mood for something that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Also See: 12 Chilling Zombie K-Dramas & K-Movies To Binge This Weekend
3. Monstrum
In Jung Jong’s 22nd year, Joseon battles a plague, gripped by fear.
Whispers of “Monstrum” on Mount Inwangsan spread panic.
To quell it, Jung Jong calls back General Yoon Gyum.
With Myung, Sung Han, and Officer Heo, they seek the truth, while trying to bring peace to Joseon.
4. The Silenced
In 1938, during Korea’s Japanese colonial era, Joo Ran heads to an all-girl’s boarding school in Keijyo (now Seoul).
The school’s principal seems perfect to everyone, but she reveals a different side to Joo Ran.
And as Joo Ran delves deeper, she discovers a mysterious classmate who shares her name.
This sparks a quest to uncover the dormitory’s concealed tales in this Korean horror film.
5. Thirst
Sang Hyun, a Catholic Priest, willingly joins an experiment in Africa to develop a vaccine for the lethal Emmanuel Virus.
After a contaminated blood transfusion, he’s the sole survivor and is left grappling with the vampire virus.
Back in Korea, he battles blood cravings while volunteering at a hospital, and one day, he reunites with a childhood friend, Tae Ju’s husband.
Seeing Tae Ju’s hardship, he offers kindness, but their dynamic shifts as Hyun struggles to contain his growing attraction.
6. Rampant
Lee Chung, a Joseon Prince, is held captive in the Qing Dynasty.
He’s a lively character, known for his love of revelry and his skill with a sword.
His older brother Lee Young takes the throne and eventually brings Lee Chung back home after a decade.
But upon his return, Lee Chung confronts nocturnal monsters wreaking havoc.
This is yet another one of the best scary Korean historical movies set in Joseon that you need to watch if you want blood-pounding action that will keep you glued for hours.
7. The Wrath
In this period thriller film, two Joseon women become rivals as a family faces a tragic event where all three sons meet their demise on their wedding day.
8. Death Bell
On the night before a crucial midterm exam, 24 exceptionally bright students are trapped in their high school.
They watch a distressing scene on a monitor: Hae Yeong, the top student, is stuck in a filled aquarium.
And a voice warns that if they don’t complete a timed exam, Hae Yeong and everyone in the school will perish.
This sets off a life-or-death test for the students, and trust me when I say that this Korean school horror film is as terrifying as they come.
9. The Witch
Ten years ago, Ja Yoon escaped from a government facility, and she lost her memory.
An elderly couple raised her, and years later, she enters a televised audition to help her family.
But strange people, including Nobleman, Dr Baek, and Mr Choi, track her down after they see her live broadcast and her ordinary world is upended.
Related: Top 20 Must-See Korean Movies On Netflix You Can Stream Right Now
10. Door Lock
Kyung Min, a woman living alone, faces a break-in scare at her apartment.
The police show little concern, and more suspicious incidents occur.
Feeling unsafe, she investigates on her own, and she ends up finding clues like an open door lock case, unknown fingerprints, and a cigarette butts.
This horror psychological Korean movie is literally everything, and you might want to give it a chance if you’re in the mood for something that would give you the jitters.
11. The Labyrinth
The Labyrinth is a spooky movie about high school students.
They’re trying to rescue their friends from creepy ghosts causing weird things to happen at night in their school.
Hee Min is actually a powerful ghost fighter, but he doesn’t know it yet, and So Young knows something about a spooky curse on their school, but she’s not telling anyone.
This movie is based on a game called White Day: A Labyrinth Named School, and it’s one of those dramas you shouldn’t watch alone.
12. Midnight
Kyeong Mi, a young woman who’s deaf, lives with her mom.
One day, after a bad dinner with a client, she picks up her mom and goes home.
At the same time, a killer named Do Shik sees Kyeong Mi’s mom waiting.
But he changes his mind when he sees another girl, So Jung, talking on the phone.
Do Shik stabs So Jung and Kyeong Mi finds her, and now, Kyeong Mi has become Do Shik’s new target in a dangerous game of hide-and-seek.
13. The Chaser
Jung Ho, a former cop now working as a pimp, is upset because his girls are vanishing without paying their debts.
One night, he gets a call from a customer and notices it’s the same number the missing girls received calls from.
He thinks something’s wrong and suspects they might be sold in the human trafficking market.
He then sends Mi Jin to catch the suspect, but she can’t be found. This makes Jung Ho even more suspicious.
And he starts investigating, and what he uncovers is a shocking truth in this twisted Korean horror movie about humans that are scarier than ghosts.
Sometimes, we all need a good scare and the movies in this post are legitimately terrifying they’ll make you so restless.
There’s everything from psychological horror like in Door Lock, to maniacal killers like in Midnight, and even science-fiction Korean horror movies like The Witch.
Please check out the related posts below for even more amazing recommendations and don’t forget to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
