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Stories Set in South Korea
South Korea is a mountainous country on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula with most people living in dense cities. The 1953 armistice that paused the Korean War left a divided peninsula, and the later sprint from military rule to export wealth fuels its stories of class and revenge. Parasite and Oldboy show that pressure at very different temperatures. Open South Korea on the StoryTerra map and filter its stories by any era.
Open South Korea on the StoryTerra map10 famous stories set in South Korea
Live snapshot of the top 10 most popular catalogue items (2026-09-04). Click any card to open this entry on the live map.
Browse 29 books, 1,913 movies, 130 TV shows and 18 games set in South Korea.
Parasite
All unemployed Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
Oldboy
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned drugged and tortured for 15 years a desperate businessman seeks revenge on his captors.
Miracle in Cell No. 7
Separated from his daughter a father with an intellectual disability must prove his innocence when he is jailed for the death of a commander's child.
The Handmaiden
In 1930s Korea a swindler and a young woman pose as a Japanese count and a handmaiden to seduce a Japanese heiress and steal her fortune.
Train to Busan
When a zombie virus pushes Korea into a state of emergency those trapped on an express train to Busan must fight for their own survival.
Memories of Murder
During the late 1980s two detectives in a South Korean province attempt to solve the nation's first series of rape-and-murder cases.
20th Century Girl
Yeon-du asks her best friend Bora to collect all the information she can about Baek Hyun-jin while she is away in the U.S. for heart surgery. Bora decides to get close to Baek's best friend Pung Woon-ho first. However…
Squid Game
Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games—with high stakes. But, a tempting prize awaits the victor.
Past Lives
Nora and Hae Sung two childhood friends are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny love and the choices that make a life.
All of Us Are Dead
A high school becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Trapped students must fight their way out — or turn into one of the rabid infected.
The 10 stories above are just a sample of the 2,090 in the catalogue for this entry. For the full live catalogue with trailers, locations and time filters, open South Korea in the StoryTerra app. On the live map you can also filter by the exact time the stories take place — any year, decade or century, from BCE to the future.
South Korea through time
Korean War (1950–1953) — Enter the 'Forgotten War' — a brutal conflict that solidified the division of the Korean peninsula, with intense fighting between North and South, plus China and a UN coalition. Explore Korean War
Explore cities of South Korea
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