Six Classic Korean Movies to Enjoy During this Festive Break

There are myriad ways to ring in Christmas and the New Year. However, given that the COVID threat is still very real, it might be prudent to stay indoors and celebrate the holidays with family in peace, especially considering the fact that there are tonnes of films, dramas, and other kinds of content to liven up the festive spirit, not to mention some excellent Korean flicks. While the new releases are great, you might want to immerse yourself in some old favorites, too. If that’s indeed the case, get prepped for a classic K-movie binge and tune into the following.

Christmas in August (1998)

The clock is ticking for the terminally ill owner of a Seoul photo studio, Jung-won (Han Suk-kyu). His routine life grows eventful when Da-rim (Shim Eun-ha), a young parking attendant, starts frequenting his studio. They fall in love over time, but as his health declines, Jung-won is forced to bid farewell.

Despite the absence of an intense romance, this movie is powerful because the lead characters don’t explicitly proclaim their love for each other, and yet there are deep emotional undercurrents throughout. And while there’s no resolution, the essence of attachment lingers long after Jung-won departs.

Christmas in August is just too beautiful. It depicts that although loving is a part of living, everything eventually fades in life. Watch this touching story, indulge in a few tears or smiles, but most importantly, remember how fleeting life is.

If It Snows on Christmas (1998)

Song-hee (Kim Hyun-Joo) promises to give Soo-wan (Park Yong-ha) her father’s violin if they date for a week, in exchange for the latter forgetting the fact that he is getting married. As the two long-time friends start spending time together reminiscing about their memories, Soo-wan begins to get a sense of warmth from Song-hee that was lacking in his relationship with his fiancée. But he must leave soon to study abroad, and Song-hee is determined not to lose him as Christmas approaches.

There’s so much truth in the saying that you will not desire something until another person desires it. This film is centered on that idea, bearing some similarities to My Best Friend’s Wedding. I enjoy the subtleties of friendship and find the events relatable. Even though this may appear to be your conventional rom-com, there are several reassuring aspects. It’s a movie you should watch when you need a warm, nostalgic feeling.

Woojoo’s Christmas (2016)

Three women are at the core of Woojoo’s Christmas. A mother and businesswoman Woo-joo (Kim Jee-soo), 38, has an unrealized dream. The other Woo-joos – the 26-year-old (Heo Yi-jae) and the 19-year-old (Yoon So-mi) – are struggling in their lives as well. A miracle transpires when these people cross paths. It’s enlightening to see the way in which the narrative highlights how great things can happen when women band together. Despite nothing being over the top, this movie has many good attributes. Give it a shot.

Swing Kids (2018)

D.O (EXO) had me hooked on to Swing Kids initially, but as it unfolded, the Korean musical drew me in deeper. The movie takes place in the Geoje detention center in 1951, in the midst of the Korean War. A renegade North Korean soldier, Ro Ki-soo (D.O), meets Jackson (Jared Grimes), an American officer and former Broadway star tasked with putting up a dance group, and falls in love with tap dancing. To help ease themselves and the prisoners from the strains of war, the soldiers at the camp subsequently put on a tap dance show.

Swing Kids is a spectacle to behold. The musicality, the dance routines, the storytelling and, above all, D.O’s showmanship stand out. “The film’s booming tapping sounds set against the film’s throwback soundtrack – which includes David Bowie’s ‘Modern Love,’ Benny Goodman’s ‘Sing Sing Sing,’ The Beatles’ ‘Free As A Bird,’ as well as Korean veteran singer Jung Su-ra’s popular 1988 song ‘Joy’ – drive colorful vibrancy into the film, making the audience twitch with amusement throughout the film’s 133-minute running time,” wrote Yonhap News Agency‘s Park Bo-ram, adding that the production’s musicality and a Christmas scene near the end make it a perfect film choice for the holiday season.

Moonlit Winter (2019)

Sae-Bom (Kim So-Hye), Yoon-Hee’s (Kim Hee-Ae) teenage daughter, lives with her mom. On a winter day, Yoon-Hee receives a letter from Otaru, Japan. After accidentally reading the letter, Sae-Bom discovers the existence of her mother’s first love. To reunite them, Sae-Bom suggests that they travel to Otaru together while keeping her knowledge of their relationship a secret.

The story’s tone and unrequited love subplot mesh wonderfully with Moonlight Winter‘s aesthetic – a calming tale with a slow burn. The mother-daughter dynamic is just amazing; it’s treated so well, especially the way in which the girl is mindful of her mother’s loneliness. This picture is a fantastic way to let out pent-up emotions, and I admire it more because it tackles homosexuality deftly without making it overtly sexual.

A Year-End Medley (2021)

A Year-End Medley, often known as Happy New Year, is a touching and passionate melodrama about the visitors and staff of Hotel Emros over the New Year’s break. The movie captures the essence of how these individuals forge their relationships, while each has a unique story to tell.

A superb, stellar cast is included in this beautiful story. The atmosphere is made festive by the plethora of love stories, some of which are rather sweet. This film is the kind that encourages you to ring in the new year with your loved ones or with that special someone.