Korean cinema has produced some of the most ambitious and original science fiction films of the modern era, from Bong Joon-ho's monster movies to space operas and AI-haunted futures. Which film is the greatest Korean sci-fi ever made?
1SnowpiercerBong Joon-ho's 2013 dystopian thriller set aboard a perpetually moving train where class warfare plays out in icy, claustrophobic cars after a climate apocalypse.
2The HostBong Joon-ho's 2006 monster movie blending family drama and social satire, following a dysfunctional family fighting a mutant creature loose in Seoul.
3Space SweepersA 2021 Netflix space opera following a ragtag crew of junk collectors who discover a child who may be a weapon of mass destruction, South Korea's first big-budget space blockbuster.
4AlienoidA 2022 time-travel sci-fi epic that splices Korean historical swordfighting drama with alien prison-guard antics, spanning centuries in a gloriously ambitious blend.
5Save the Green Planet!Jang Jun-hwan's eccentric 2003 black comedy about a young man convinced the world will end unless he interrogates a corporate executive he believes is an alien.
6Doomsday BookA 2012 anthology of three science fiction short films exploring AI, zombie plagues, and a rogue billiard ball from space, showcasing Korea's inventive storytelling.
7OkjaBong Joon-ho's 2017 Netflix film following a young girl and her giant genetically engineered superpig, blending family adventure with sharp corporate satire.
8AshfallA 2019 disaster blockbuster set during the catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Paektu on the North Korea–China border, mixing action spectacle with political intrigue.
9I'm a Cyborg But That's OKPark Chan-wook's tender 2006 love story set in a psychiatric ward, where a young woman believes she is a cyborg and a fellow patient tries to save her.
10The FluA 2013 epidemic thriller set during a catastrophic outbreak of a mutant influenza strain in a South Korean city, blending government conspiracy with personal survival.
11Fabricated CityA 2017 cyberpunk-thriller about an unemployed young man who is framed for murder and must use his video-game skills to expose the real criminals in a hyper-networked world.
12Sector 7A 2011 action-sci-fi film set on an offshore oil platform terrorised by a mutant deep-sea creature, notable for being one of Korea's first major 3D blockbusters.
