With the release of the film “Train to Busan” in 2016, directed by Yeong SangHo, the Z phenomenon found its place in the hearts of Korean audiences, but also internationally. However, “Train to Busan” is not the first film of its kind, and we can go back to 2010 to discover the first films about it. Today, the zombie invites itself into homes around the world through audiovisual and literary works. Webtoons are not to be outdone, especially “Sweet Home” by Hwang YoungChan and Kim CarnBy, which followed up with a drama adaptation released on Netflix. Check out the list we’ve prepared for you to find out more about Korean zombies.
1. “Train to Busan”
It is impossible to ignore “Train to Busan”, and its sequel, “Peninsula”. “Train to Busan” follows a father, who struggled to bond with his young daughter since his divorce. While accompanying his daughter from Seoul to Busan in a KTX, he discovers that in his car, one of the passengers is behaving disturbingly. It does not take more to create general panic when the passenger throws himself on a train employee and kills her before she comes back to life. The zombie virus is spreading at breakneck speed, as fast as the train is rolling on the tracks. Actors: Gong Yoo, Jung YuMi, Ma DongSeok
2. “Peninsula”
“Peninsula”, by the same director and having been released in theaters in 2020, shows us Seoul, four years after the Z epidemic hit Korea in “Train to Busan”. We follow a man with a tortured past, who has to return to Korea for mercenaries after the peninsula was closed to all people. He will meet a family among the ruins and the zombies, whom he will try to help by all means. Both films are strong because they paint a picture of social and societal inequalities in Korea, opposing the power of solidarity and mutual aid during the apocalypse. Actors: Gang DongWon, Lee JungHyun, Kwon HaeHyo
3. “Horror Stories”
The next films on our list are “Horror Stories: Ambulance on the Death Rode”, by Kim Sun and Kim Gok in 2012, and “Rampant”, by Kim SeongHoon in 2018. Both take place in different times and places, but human cruelty coexists in both films. The first one, a short movie, follows a mother who does everything to treat her daughter who may be carrying the zombie virus, while caregivers refuse to take care of her. Actors: Kim JiYoung, Kim YeWon, Jo HanCheol
4. “Rampant”
In this film, the decline of a kingdom during the Joseon dynasty, through the eyes of a prince. Zombies are terrifying because they can run, jump, and climb, to eradicate all forms of life on the planet. The moral that emerges from these films is the following: by combining our strengths and our abilities, nothing is lost, everything remains to be (re)built. Actors: Hyun Bin, Jang DongGun, Jeong ManSik
5. “Seoul Station”
“Seoul Station” is a special film since it is a cartoon. Directed by Yang SangHo once again, it is actually the prequel to “Train to Busan”. We discover the very first carrier of the Z virus, and how it spreads on the Korean peninsula. The government is quickly overwhelmed by the situation and has trouble distinguishing between the infected and the healthy civilians.
6. “Alive”
You can also watch the movie “Alive”, released in 2020 by Cho IlHyung. Popular actors being in the film, it sold out when it was released in cinemas, and received good scores when it was released on Netflix. The zombies are no longer the “main actors” of the film, but two humans living in an apartment complex, doing their best to survive by communicating through a wire between their buildings. However, the infected are dreadful, because they retain a form of human intelligence and can, for example, open doors. We also realize what a human is capable of doing to survive, and for the “well-being” of its family. The solution to get out of it? Social networks! Actors: Yoo AhIn, Park ShinHye
7. “The Wailing”
Let’s now look at the movie “The Wailing” by Na HongJin, released in 2016. Its atmosphere is more singular because we have the feeling of being plunged into the heart of a criminal affair, under the prospect of religion. Zombies mingle with spirits and shamanic rites, allowing you to discover a part of Korean culture. Shamanism, Protestantism, and Christianity clash in this film, with an atmosphere charged with prejudice and stereotype. Actors: Kwak DoWon, Hwang JungMin, Jun Kunimura
8. “Doomsday Book”
On the religious side, we also find the short film “Doomsday Book: A Brave New World”, released in 2012 by Yim PilSung. The zombie virus is transmitted there by an apple, reminiscent of the original sin. The government thinks it is facing a severe form of the flu. A conspiracy is also taking place, considering the virus to be a biochemical weapon of North Korea. Throughout the short movie, we can see references to the seven deadly sins, in the behavior of the infected who retain a moderate form of human consciousness. Actors: Ryoo SeungBum, Go JoonHee
9. “The Odd Family”
Finally, let’s take a more endearing look at zombies. With “The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale” by Lee MinJae, 2020, we discover that zombie bites allow old people to rejuvenate. A real business is then set up within a family who “adopted” a zombie, as the teenager of the house fell in love with him at first sight. However, as the young zombie gradually becomes human again, it is the elderly who end up perishing from an unknown disease. Actors: Jung JaeYoung, Kim NamGil, Uhm JiWon
10. “Zombie School”
And now, a film to be taken with a sense of humor: “Zombie School”, by Kim SeokJung produced in 2014. The action takes place mainly in a school located on an island, where a pig buried alive takes revenge by transforming the teachers into zombies. It is then a real fight in which the students must engage to stay alive. Perhaps the least interesting film in this article, it is nonetheless original in terms of its plot. Actors: Kim KyeongRyong, Baek SeoBin, Kim SeungHwan
11. “The Neighbor Zombie”
We end this list with the film “The Neighbor Zombie”, grouping together six short films directed by Jang YunJeong, Oh YoungDoo, Hoon Ryoo, and Hong YoungGeun, in 2010, being, therefore, the oldest movie on our list. The short films have no connection between them, but they address different aspects of the Z phenomenon. We follow in particular, a couple in which only the man is affected by the virus, a child seeking by all means to help her zombie mother, and the consequences of a vaccine on the former infected. In addition, the film takes a more political turn when we learn that the government has a vaccine, but does not want to distribute it to the population for economic reasons. Actors: Bae YongGeun, Ha EunJung, Suh YoonA Which of these films do you find the most interesting? Have you ever seen some of them? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments!
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