The Best Korean War Movies

Filmmaking is one of the arts a society uses to understand its own history. The best Korean War movies struggle to make sense of the civil war (1950-1953) which escalated into an international conflict resulting in the two Koreas we know today. This is a list of all Korean movies about the Korean War, ranked best to worst by votes from fans of the genre.  

This list of Korean War movies includes the classics Piagol (1955), Five Marines (1961) and The Marines Who Never Returned (1963) all made within a few years of the conflict. Later films dealing with the Korean War include Spring In My Hometown, following a family's relationship with the US troops, The Last Witness, in which a detective (South Korean superstar, Lee Jung Jae) investigates a story of POWs during the war, and The Front Line which depicts the final battle of the war and the determining of the border between north and south. Most of these Korean war films are in the Korean language with subtitles, but they're really great foreign films.

Let us know which of the films on this Korean War movies list you find most effecting by voting that film to the top of the list.
Ranked by
  • Pork Chop Hill
    1
    Gregory Peck, Harry Guardino, Rip Torn
    26 votes
    • Released: 1959
    • Directed by: Lewis Milestone
    Because final peace negotiations are bogged down in political maneuvering, U.S. soldiers, led by Lt. Joe Clemons (Gregory Peck), are forced to assault entrenched Chinese troops. The site of battle is ...more

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  • MASH
    2
    Robert Duvall, Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould
    22 votes
    • Released: 1970
    • Directed by: Robert Altman
    MASH is a 1970 American satirical black comedy film directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner, Jr., based on Richard Hooker's novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The picture is ...more

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  • The Steel Helmet
    3
    Gene Evans, Robert Hutton, Richard Loo
    21 votes
    • Released: 1951
    • Directed by: Samuel Fuller
    In the early days of the Korean War, gruff U.S. Sgt. Zack (Gene Evans) is retreating to safety after an enemy attack wipes out his unit. Rescued and guided through the jungle by a friendly Korean ...more

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  • Gran Torino
    4
    Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang
    46 votes
    • Released: 2008
    • Directed by: Clint Eastwood
    Retired auto worker and Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) fills emptiness in his life with beer and home repair, despising the many Asian, Latino and black families in his neighborhood. ...more

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  • Marines, Let's Go
    5

    Marines, Let's Go

    David Hedison, Tom Tryon, Barbara Stuart
    9 votes
    • Released: 1960
    • Directed by: Raoul Walsh
    Marines, Let's Go is a 1961 CinemaScope colour Korean War film about three Marine buddies on shore leave in Japan and at war in Korea. It was produced and directed by Raoul Walsh who also wrote the ...more
  • The Bridges at Toko-Ri
    6
    William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March
    15 votes
    • Released: 1954
    • Directed by: Mark Robson
    Naval Reservist pilot Lt. Harry Brubaker (William Holden) is stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Sea of Japan during the Korean War. Although suffering from battle fatigue and longing to return ...more

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