Best Korean movies of 2022 to watch online in 2023: 20th Century Girl, Decision to Leave, Broker and More
The Korean film industry has been doing very well in recent years, thanks to the increasing popularity of Korean movies. This year was no exception, with many people choosing to watch Korean films over others. If you’re looking for something new and exciting to watch, then be sure to check out some of the best Korean movies out there!
Below we have listed some of the best Korean movies of 2022 that went on to become the highest-grossing films, broke several records on the various streaming platforms, and were also appreciated by the audience present at the film festivals they were released on. Check them out, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Top Korean Movies of 2022
| Movie Name | IMDB Rating |
| Kingmaker | 6.7 |
| In our Prime | 6.7 |
| Special Delivery | 6.4 |
| The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure | 6.1 |
| The Policeman’s Lineage | 6.1 |
| Hot Blooded | 6 |
| Decision to Leave | 7.3 |
| The Witch: Part 2- The other one | 6.2 |
| Broker | 7.1 |
| Hunt | 6.8 |
| Project Wolf Hunting | 6.2 |
| The Roundup | 7 |
| Return to Seoul | 7 |
| 20th Century Girl | 7.3 |
| Love and Leashes | 6.3 |
1. Kingmaker
Directed by Sung-hyun Byun and produced by Lee Jin-hee and Park Jun-ho, Kingmaker is a political drama whose story of the movie revolves around the relationship of a politician Kim Dae-jung and his political strategists, Uhm Chang-rok. While the politician dreams of becoming a president with the motive of changing the world and making it a better place, the political strategist, Seo Chang-dae is a bit selfish and puts his winning above the needs of the citizens. The movie was released in theatres on January 26, 2022, making it one of the highest-grossing movies in the country.
Cast: Chong-ok Bae, Jeon Bae-soo, Lee Hwa-Ryong, Park Hyoung-soo, and others.
Release Date: 26 January, 2022
Duration: 123 minutes
Genre: Drama, History
Director: Sung-hyun Byun
Producers: Lee Jin-hee and Park Jun-ho
Where to watch: IPTV, Google Play, KakaoPage, Naver TV, Cinefox, KT skylife
Also Read: Best Comedy Movies on Netflix Right Now
2. In Our Prime
Directed by Dong-hoon Park and produced by Ha Jeong-wan, the story of the movie revolves around the life of a teacher named Ji-woo, who becomes friends with the security guard of the school, named Hak-sung. Ji-woo requests the security guard to teach him mathematics. However, their friendship turns when a horrific incident occurs at the school. The movie was released in theatres on March 9, 2022, with Korean as its original language.
Cast: Choi Min-sik, Kim Dong-hwi, Park Byung-eun, Park Hae-joon, Jo Yun-Seo, Tang Jun-sang, Kim Won-hae, Joo Jin-wo, and Kang Mal-geum.
Release Date: 9 March 2022
Duration: 117 minutes
Genre: Drama
Director: Dong-hoon Park
Producers: Ha Jeong-wan
Where to watch: Netflix
3. Special Delivery
Directed by Dae-min Park and produced by Kim Bong-seo, the movie’s story revolves around a delivery employee named Eun-ha, who is known for delivering illegal products. While on her way to meet her potential client Kyeong-pil, who is known face in gambling, she meets his son named Kim Seo-wang. She spends her entire time protecting him from his father, who, with the help of a police officer is out chasing his son to possess the password of the bank account that has approximately 30 million US dollars in it. The movie was released in theatres on January 12, 2022, with Korean as its original language.
Cast: Park So-dam, Song Sae-byeok, Kim Eui-sung, Jung Hyeon-jun, Yeom Hye-ran, Yeon Hye-ran, Han Hyun-min, Yoo Seung-ho, Jeon Seok-ho, and Choi Deok-moon.
Release Date: 12 January, 2022
Duration: 108 minutes
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Director: Dae-min Park
Producer: Kim Bong-seo
Where to watch: IPTV, Google Play, KakaoPage, Naver TV, Cinefox, KT skylife
Also Read: Best Thriller Movies on Netflix
4. The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure
Directed by Jeong-hoon Kima, the story of the movie takes place in the Joseon times, when a group of courageous pirates as well as bandits while battling with the rough wave of the water, go on a quest to find and acquire the last remaining royal gold before their enemies. The movie was released on January 26, 2022, with Korean as its original language.
Cast: Han Hyo-joo, Kang Ha-neul, Lee Kwang-soo, Kwon Sang-woo, Chae Soo-bin, Oh Se-hun, Kim Sung-ho, Park Ji-hwan, Park hoon, Kim Ki-doo, and Sung Dong-il.
Release Date: 26 January 2022
Duration: 126 minutes
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Director: Jeong-hoon Kima
Producer: Jeong-hoon Kima
Where to watch: Netflix
5. The Policeman’s Lineage
Directed by Kyu-maan Lee, the story of the movie based on the novel “Blood of the Policeman” written by Joh Sasaki, which revolves around the life of two police officers who have different techniques to investigate cases, who team up to investigate a case. However, the case drags both of them into a loophole that creates havoc in the police station. The movie was released in theatres on January 5th, 2022, with Korean as its original language.
Cast: Cho Jin-woong, Choi Woo-shik, Park Sang-soon, Park Hee-soon, Park Myung-hoon, Kwon Yul, Jang Seo-kyung, Lee Sung-woo, Son In-yong, and Lim Chul-hyung.
Release Date: January 5, 2022
Duration: 119 minutes
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director: Kyu-maan Lee
Producer: Kyu-maan Lee
Where to watch: Apply TV, Amazon Prime Video, Show Me TV, Vudu, MovieZone, Fawesome
6. Hot Blooded
Directed by Cheon Myeong-kwan and produced by Kim Ju-gyeong, the story of the movie is based on the novel “Hot Blooded” written by Kim Ju-gyeong, which revolves around the life of a gangster living in Guam, Korea, who wishes to live a healthy lifestyle free of violence and crime and wants his past not to destroy his future. However, his plan does not last long, and he unexpectedly gets involved in a crime that yields bad results. The movie was released in theatres on March 23rd, 2022, with Korean as its original language.
Cast: Jung Woo, Kim Kap-soo, Choi Moo-sung, Ji Seung-hyun, Lee Hong-nae, Yoon Ji-Hye, Lee Sung-woo, and Jung Yung-woo.
Release Date: 23 March, 2022
Duration:120 minutes
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Director: Cheon Myeong-Kwan
Producer: Kim Ju-gyeong
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu
Also Read: Best Thriller Movies on Amazon Prime
7. Decision to Leave
Directed and produced by Park Chan-wook, the story of the movie revolves around the life of a detective named Hae Jung, who has been given the duty to investigate the case of a man, who has mysteriously died in the mountain. While investigating the case, Hae Jung cross path with the wife of the dead man, who is acting very suspiciously around the detective. The movie was released in theatres on 29th June 2022 and received a positive review from the audience and the critics.
Cast: Tang Wei, Park Hae-il, Lee Jung-hyun, Go Kyung-pyo, Park Yong-woo, Kim Shin-young, Jung Yi-seo, Jung Young-Sook, Yoo Seung-mok, Park Jeong-min, Seo Hyun-woo, Teo Yoo, Go Min-si, Lee Hak-joo, Jeong Ha-dam, Choi Dae-hoon, Joo In-young, and Jung So-ri.
Release Date: 29 June 2022
Duration: 139 minutes
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Director: Park Chan-wook
Producer: Park Chan-wook
Where to watch: Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Voot, Jio Cinema
8. The Witch: Part 2- The other one
Directed and written by Park Hoon-Jung, the story of the movie revolves around the life of a girl who finds herself waking up in a laboratory that seemed a bit strange, where meets a mysterious man named Kyung-hee who is helping to keep her safe from a gang that is looking for her. Once the gang finds the girl, they are endangered by a mysterious power and are left shocked. The movie was released in theatres on June 15th, 2022, and became the top 5th movie to perform well in the box office.
Cast: Shin Si-ah, Park Eun-bin, Seo Eun-soo, Jin Goo, Sung Yoo-bin, Jo Min-su, Kim So-min, Kim Ki-hae, Seo Yi-ra, Jung Ra-el, Justin John Harvey, Cha Soon-bae, Chae Won-bin, Kim Da-mi, Lee Jong-suk, and Uhm Tae-goo.
Release Date: June 15, 2022
Duration: 137 minutes
Genre: Action, Thriller, Mystery
Director: Park Hoon-Jung
Producer: Park Hoon-Jung
Where to watch: IPTV, Google Play, KakaoPage, Naver TV, Cinefox, KT skylife
9. Broker
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-Eda and produced by Eugene Lee, the movie’s story revolves around the life of a man named Ha Sang-Hyeon, who works as a volunteer at a church along with his friend Dong-soo. Apart from working at a church, they also run an illegal business of stealing babies from the same church they volunteer at and selling them on the adoption black market. After So-young, a mother comes back to find her abandoned baby, she, with the motive to find the baby, and his\her future parent, goes on a road trip with the guys. The movie was released in theatres on June 8th, 2022, and received a standing ovation from the audience when it was released at the Cannes International Film Festival on May 26th, 2022.
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-woo, Bae Doona, Lee Ji-eun, Lee Joo-young, Park Ji-yong, Im Seung-soo, kang Gil-woo, Lee Moo-saeng, Ryu Kyung-soo, Song Sae-byeok, Kim Seon-young, Lee Dong-hwi, Kim Sae-byuk, Park Hae-joon, Baek Hyun-jin, and Kim Ye-eun.
Release Date: 8 June, 2022
Duration: 129 minutes
Genre: Drama
Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Producer: Eugene Lee
Where to watch: Cineplex, Cinemark, Regal, AMC
Also Read: 11 Best South Indian Movies to Watch Online 2022
10. Hunt
Directed by Lee Jung-jae and produced by Lee Jung-jae and Han Jae-duk, the story of the movie revolves around the lives of two officers from Korea, Park Pyong-ho and Kim Jung-do, who are working in Washingtion DC, and have taken on the duty to protect the US president. However, things fall apart when Kim although not a Donglim, plans to assassinate the president whereas Park is the actual Donglim. After various attempt to assassinate the president and continuously failing, both Kim and Park end up loosing their lives. The movie was released in theatres on August 10th, 2022 becoming the 4th highest grossing Korean film of 2022.
Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung, Jeon Hye-jin, Heo Sung-tae, Go Yoon-jung, Kim Jong-soo, Jung Man-sik, Kang Kyung-heon, Park Sung-woo, Jo Woo-jin, Kim Nam-gil, Ju Ji-hoon, Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sung-min, and Yoo Jae-myung.
Release Date: 10 August, 2022
Duration: 131 minutes
Genre: Drama, Action, Mystery
Director: Lee Jung-jae
Producer: Lee Jung-jae and Han Jae-duk
Where to watch: Netflix
11. Project Wolf Hunting
Directed by Kim Hong-seon, the story of the movie revolves around the lives of many criminals who are being transported on a cargo ship all the way to South Korea from the Philippines. However, things fall apart when they all of them come together to attempt to escape the ship which leads to a riot between them and the police officers. The movie was released in theatres on September 21st, 2022 and won two awards at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival.
Cast: Seo In-guk, Jang Dong-yoon, Choi Gwi-hwa, Park Ho-san, Jung So-min. Ko Chang-seok, Jang Young-nam, Sung Dong-il, Son Jong-hak, Lee Sung-wook, Hong Ji,yoon, Jung Moon-sung, Lim Ju-hwan, Kwon Soo-hyun, Jung Sung-il, and Kim Kang-hoon.
Release Date: 21 September, 2022
Duration: 122 minutes
Genre: Crime, Action, Horror
Director: Kim Hong-seon
Producer: Kim Hong-seon
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Also Read: 20 Best Tamil Movies on OTT 2022: Ponniyin Selvan
12. The Roundup
Directed by Lee Sang-yong, the story of the movie revolves around the life of a detective named Ma Seok-do, who in order to find a potential suscept of the cast he is investigating, goes to a foreign country. While his stay at the country, he discovers about a serial killer who is responsible for the killing of many tourists for so many years, and has still not been arrested for his crime. The movie was released in theatres on May 18th, 2022, and is currently the highest-grossing movie of the country.
Cast: Ma Dong-seok, Son Suk-ku, Choi Gwi-hwa, Park Ji-hwan, Heo Dong-won, Ha Jun, Jung Jae-kwang, Nam Moon-cheol, Park Ji-young, Lee Joo-won, Eum Moon-suk, Kim Chan-hyung, Cha Woo-jin, Jeon Jin-oh, Jung In-gi.
Release Date: 18 May, 2022
Duration: 106 minutes
Genre: Crime, Action, Thriller
Director: Lee Sang-yong
Producer: Kim Hong-baek, Jang Won-seok, Ma Dong-seok
Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
13. Return to Seoul
Directed by Davy Chou, the story of the movie around the life of a 25-year-old girl named Freddie, born and raised in France by her adopted parents, is visiting South Korea for the first time, with the intensions of finding her biological parents. During her time in Seoul, Freddie encounters with several uncomfortable situations but she does not let them get in a way of finding her real parents. The movie was released in theatres on 22nd May, 2022 which was critically acclaimed.
Cast: Ji-Min Park, Oh Kwang-rok, Cho-woo Choi, Guka Han, Kim Sun-young, Yoann Zimmer, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Hur Ouk-Sook, and Emeline Briffaud.
Release Date: 22 May, 2022
Duration: 115 minutes
Genre: Drama
Director: Davy Chou
Producer: Katia Khazak and Charlotte Vincent
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
14. 20th Century Girl
Directed by Bang Woo-ri, the movie takes place in the year 1999, which revolves around the life of a seventeen-year-old, named Bo-ra. Her best friend Yeon-du, with a heart problem, tells Bo-ra that she does not wish to leave the country to get her heart surgery as she has fallen in love with her classmate named Baek Hyun-Jin. To do her best friend a favour, Bo-ra promises her that when she is away at the US for her surgery, she will keep a close check on him and once she knows everything about him, she will email her about the same. The movie was released directly on the online streaming platform Netflix, on 21st October, 2022.
Cast: Kim Yoo-Jung, Han Hyo-joo, Byeon Woo-seok, Park Jung-woo, Roh Yoon-seo, Kim Sung-kyung, Jeong Seok-yong, Lee Cheon-moo, Yoon Yi-re, and Jeon Hye-won
Release Date: 21 October, 2022
Duration: 119 minutes
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director: Bang Woo-ri
Producer: Im Seung-yong
Where to watch: Netflix
15. Love and Leashes
Directed by Park Hyun-jin, the movie is based on the webtoon named Moral Sense written by Gyeoul, which revolves around the lives of two young adults, who also happens to be co-workers, who have signed a contract and are pretending to act as lovers for their personal gains. The movie was released directly on the online streaming platform Netflix, on 11th February, 2022.
Cast: Seohyun, Lee Jun-young, Lee El, Seo Hyun-woo, Lee Suk-hyeong, Kim Bo-ra, Naek Hyun-Joo, and Ahn Seung-gyun.
Release Date: 11 February, 2022
Duration: 117 minutes
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director: Park Hyun-jin
Producer: Park Hyun-jin
Where to watch: Netflix
Also Read: 15 Best Bollywood Movies on OTT 2022
These were some of the most popular Korean films released this year, making them the most talked about films of the year and landing on most people’s list of comfort movies to watch.