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The South Korean film industry received a major spotlight after Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite won big at the Academy Awards. Just a few years before that, the zombie horror film Train to Busan became an international phenomenon, earning fans around the globe. These were but a snapshot of the mastery of South Korean filmmakers. For years, Korean cinema has maintained an international following — especially for genre films like action, thriller, rom-coms, and horror.
While all of these genres are alive and thriving in the modern Korean film scene, there is arguably one genre that South Korea does better than most: the action-comedy. South Korean action-comedy movies are an absolute gold mine of entertainment that never seems to let up, presenting audiences with hilarious and exciting gems for the past two decades. It has something to offer for everyone — whether you want a healthy dose of tasteful comedy mixed in with serious action, or a slapstick comedy masquerading as an action film. Here are 8 South Korean action-comedy movies that are to die for.
8/8 The Dude in Me (2019)
The Dude in Me is a fitting representation of the genre cocktails that South Korean filmmakers routinely dish out to entertain their audience. The movie starts out when a timid high school student and a mafia leader magically switch bodies after a shared accident. What follows is a series of gratuitous bully backfires at school and comedic attempts to maintain power within the mafia organization. And to top it off, the mafia leader also discovers that he has a secret daughter who is studying in the same class as the student he swapped bodies with. All in all, the movie is a fun, light-hearted mix of action, fantasy, crime, and teen comedy.
7/8 Hitman: Agent Jun (2020)
Hitman: Agent Jun follows the life of a lethal government assassin who fakes his own death in order to live his dream life of being a manhwa artist. And that’s just the beginning of the movie. It’s this sort of beautiful silliness, executed to perfection, that sets South Korean cinema apart from the rest. Hitman: Agent Jun is led by Kwon Sang-woo, who shines in his dual role as a struggling manhwa artist and a former spy assassin. While the movie carries its moments of impressive fight action, it leans heavily towards slapstick humor — more so than other titles on this list.
6/8 Accidental Detective (2015)
Korean action-comedies often take place in the realm of cops and criminals, pitting together assorted characters for a hilarious mixture. Accidental Detective is an investigative thriller starring Kwon Sang-Woo as a crime-solving enthusiast and Sung Dong-Il as a weathered detective with a no-nonsense attitude. When a mutual friend of theirs is falsely arrested for a murder, Dong-Il’s character begrudgingly accepts the help of the amateur investigator to get to the bottom of the mystery.
5/8 Veteran (2015)
Veteran tells the story of a hard-boiled police detective and his attempts to bring an evil young heir of a major conglomerate to justice for murdering an innocent truck driver. Stakes are raised high as the two inflexible characters come head-to-head with each other in a battle that threatens everyone around them. The movie became massively popular in South Korea and also won a slew of awards. The brilliant writing takes the cop chase movie format to the next level, and a series of elaborate action set pieces also serve to elevate the experience.
4/8 Luck Key (2016)
Luck Key is a classic recommendation in the South Korean action-comedy genre. The movie follows the life of a professional hitman who experiences amnesia after a slip at the bathhouse. As he seeks to come to terms with life without an identity, he finds himself cast in a television show and becoming a hit actor — all thanks to his skills as a professional assassin. Luck Key will have you in stitches with its many absurd scenarios, and lead actor Yoo Hae-jin adds a whole other layer of perfection to the movie with his performance.
3/8 Mission: Possible (2021)
Mission: Possible is a recent hit release from South Korea with a typical misunderstanding at the center of the plot. Lee Sun-bin stars in the movie as a Chinese police officer who is sent on a special mission to South Korea in connection with an illegal shipment of firearms. She is meant to coordinate with a Korean special agent ends up with a deadbeat private investigator played by Woo Soo-han, who has no qualms about faking his identity if he can earn a few bucks for it. Mission: Possible includes a healthy dose of investigative thriller that will keep you hooked throughout the ride.
2/8 Extreme Job (2019)
Extreme Job was a runaway hit in the comedy genre, becoming the second highest-grossing South Korean movie of all time (via Screen Daily). The movie tells the story of a discredited police squad that makes a last-ditch effort to revive their careers by staking out a building affiliated with a drug ring. In order to stay undetected, they purchase a chicken restaurant opposite to the building, only for the restaurant to blow up in popularity after they come up with a hit chicken recipe. The team is made up of standout characters played by the likes of Lee Dong-hwi, Lee Hanee, Jin Seon-kyu, and the comedy icon Ryu Seung-ryong.
1/8 Midnight Runners (2017)
Within a few years of its release, Midnight Runners has already gained the status of a modern classic because of its inimitable comedic style. The movie stars stars Park Seo-joon and Kang ha-neul, popular Korean actors, as two police recruits who stumble across a kidnapping during a night out. Awkward and innocent, the duo finds themselves investigating the kidnapping only to discover bigger forces at play. Despite the utter brilliance of its comedic writing, Midnight Runners isn’t afraid to dive deep during the grim moments. The movie offers unadulterated, hard-boiled action along with many solemn moments. The utter brilliance of this film is in how perfectly these discrete genre elements fit into each other.
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