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List of South Korean submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

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Best International Feature Film submissions from South Korea
Highlights
Debut
1962
Submissions
38
Nominations
1
Oscar winners
1

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) has submitted films to compete for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film[nb 1] since 1962. The award is handed out annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue.[3] The Korean nominee is chosen annually by a special committee assembled by the Korean Film Council.

As of 2026, South Korea won once for Parasite in 2019, which is also the only film not in English to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Submissions

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Bong Joon Ho directed South Korea's first film to be nominated for and win the award, Parasite (2019).

Every year, each country is invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to submit its best film for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The Foreign Language Film Award Committee oversees the process and reviews all the submitted films. Following this, they vote via secret ballot to determine the five nominees for the award.[3]

South Korea's first three submissions were directed by Shin Sang-ok, as was their 1990 submission. Shin later became internationally famous after he was held hostage in North Korea between 1978 and 1986, and forced to make movies for Kim Jong Il. Lee Chang-dong has had three films selected to represent South Korea. Seven other directors, Lee Doo-yong, Kim Ki-duk, Kim Tae-kyun, Lee Joon-ik, Jang Hoon, Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, have had two of their films selected.

Lee Chang-dong's Burning, and Park Chan-wook's Decision to Leave and No Other Choice, advanced to the December shortlisted semifinalist, but none of them were nominated.[4][5]

Bong Joon Ho's Parasite was the first Korean film to be nominated in the category. It won four Academy Awards, including the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, alongside nominations for Best Film Editing and Best Production Design. As of 2026, the film remains the only non-English language Best Picture winner.

Below is a list of the films that have been submitted by South Korea for review by the Academy for the award since its conception. All submissions were filmed in the Korean language.

Year
(Ceremony)		Film title used in nominationOriginal titleDirector(s)Result
1962
(35th)		 My Mother and the Roomer 사랑방 손님과 어머니 Shin Sang-ok Not nominated
1964
(37th)		 The Dumb Samyong 벙어리 삼룡 Not nominated
1966
(39th)		 Rice 쌀 Not nominated
1968
(41st)		 Descendants of Cain 카인의 후예 Yu Hyun-mok Not nominated
1969
(42nd)		 The Old Craftsman of Jar 독 짓는 늙은이 Choi Ha-won Not nominated
1973
(46th)		 The Tragedy of Deaf Sam-yong 비련의 벙어리 삼룡 Byun Jang-ho Not nominated
1984
(57th)		 Mulleya Mulleya 여인잔혹사 물레야 물레야 Lee Doo-yong Not nominated
1985
(58th)		 Eoudong[6] 어우동 Lee Jang-ho Not nominated
1986
(59th)		 Eunuch 내시 Lee Doo-yong Not nominated
1990
(63rd)		 Mayumi 마유미 Shin Sang-ok Not nominated
1994
(67th)		 Life and Death of the Hollywood Kid 헐리우드 키드의 생애 Chung Ji-young Not nominated
1995
(68th)		 301, 302 301 302 Park Chul-soo Not nominated
2000
(73rd)		 Chunhyang 춘향뎐 Im Kwon-taek Not nominated
2002
(75th)		 Oasis 오아시스 Lee Chang-dong Not nominated
2003
(76th)		 Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring 봄, 여름, 가을, 겨울 그리고 봄 Kim Ki-duk Not nominated
2004
(77th)		 Taegukgi[7] 태극기 휘날리며 Kang Je-gyu Not nominated
2005
(78th)		 Welcome to Dongmakgol 웰컴투 동막골 Park Kwang-hyun Not nominated
2006
(79th)		 King and the Clown 왕의 남자 Lee Joon-ik Not nominated
2007
(80th)		 Secret Sunshine 밀양 Lee Chang-dong Not nominated
2008
(81st)		 Crossing 크로싱 Kim Tae-kyun Not nominated
2009
(82nd)		 Mother 마더 Bong Joon-ho Not nominated
2010
(83rd)		 A Barefoot Dream 맨발의 꿈 Kim Tae-kyun Not nominated[8]
2011
(84th)		 The Front Line[9][10] 고지전 Jang Hoon Not nominated
2012
(85th)		 Pietà[11] 피에타 Kim Ki-duk Not nominated
2013
(86th)		 Juvenile Offender[12] 범죄소년 Kang Yi-kwan Not nominated
2014
(87th)		 Sea Fog[13] 해무 Shim Sung-bo Not nominated
2015
(88th)		 The Throne[14] 사도 Lee Joon-ik Not nominated
2016
(89th)		 The Age of Shadows[15] 밀정 Kim Jee-woon Not nominated
2017
(90th)		 A Taxi Driver[16] 택시운전사 Jang Hoon Not nominated
2018
(91st)		 Burning[17] 버닝 Lee Chang-dong Made shortlist[4]
2019
(92nd)		 Parasite[18] 기생충 Bong Joon-ho Won Academy Award[19]
2020
(93rd)		 The Man Standing Next[20] 남산의 부장들 Woo Min-ho Not nominated
2021
(94th)		 Escape from Mogadishu[21] 모가디슈 Ryoo Seung-wan Not nominated[22]
2022
(95th)		 Decision to Leave[5] 헤어질 결심 Park Chan-wook Made shortlist[23]
2023
(96th)		 Concrete Utopia[24] 콘크리트 유토피아 Um Tae-hwa Not nominated
2024
(97th)		 12.12: The Day[25] 서울의 봄 Kim Sung-su Not nominated
2025
(98th)		 No Other Choice[26] 어쩔수가없다 Park Chan-wook Made shortlist[27]
2026
(99th)		 Possible Love[28] 가능한 사랑 Lee Chang-dong Pending

Shortlisted Films

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Year Films
2005 3-Iron · Duelist · April Snow · Sympathy For Lady Vengeance · Marathon · Crying Fist · A Bittersweet Life[29]
2014 A Girl at My Door · Han Gong-ju · A Hard Day[30]
2017 Becoming Who I Was · The Fortress · The Mayor · Memoir of a Murderer · One Step · The Prison · A Stray Goat · V.I.P. · Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned · The Villainess[31]
2019 Dark Figure of Crime · House of Hummingbird · Idol · Innocent Witness · Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission · A Resistance · Swing Kids[32]
2020 Beasts Clawing at Straws · Bring Me Home · Confession · Deliver Us from Evil · Life Is Beautiful · Moving On · Night of the Undead · An Old Lady · Paper Flower · Peninsula · Samjin Company English Class · Steel Rain 2: Summit[33]
2021 The Book of Fish · Dust-Man · I · Men Who Won't Pick Up Guns 2: Breaking a Taboo · Ten Months[34]
2022 Broker · Contorted · Emergency Declaration · Hansan: Rising Dragon · Hommage · Yeonryeon[35]
2023 Cobweb · The Devil's Deal · Don't Buy the Seller · Hero · The Hill of Secrets · Hopeless · The Moon · The Point Men · Ransomed · Road to Boston · Sleep · Smugglers[36]
2024 Cabriolet · Citizen of a Kind · Escape · Exhuma · FAQ · House of the Seasons · I, the Executioner · The Land of Happiness · Noryang: Deadly Sea · Our Season · Picnic · Revolver · Victory · Yeonryeon[37]
2025 About Family · Dark Nuns · Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning · Harbin · Hi-Five · The Killers · Love in the Big City · Mimang · My Daughter Is a Zombie · A Normal Family · The Old Woman with the Knife · Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy · Secret: Untold Melody · Somebody · Spring Night · The Ugly · When This Summer is Over · Yadang: The Snitch[38]
2026 Colony · Hope · Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema · Project Y · Salmokji: Whispering Water[39]

See also

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Notes

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    1. ↑ The category was previously named the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but this was changed to the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in April 2019, after the Academy deemed the word "Foreign" to be outdated.[1][2]

    References

    [edit]
    1. ↑ "Academy announces rules for 92nd Oscars". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
    2. ↑ "Academy Announces Rule Changes For 92nd Oscars". Forbes. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
    3. 1 2 "Special Rules for the Best Foreign Language Film Award". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
    4. 1 2 "Academy Unveils 2019 Oscar Shortlists". The Hollywood Reporter. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
    5. 1 2 Rosser, Michael (11 August 2022). "'Decision To Leave' revealed as South Korea's Oscar submission". Screen Daily. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
    6. ↑ "Eoh Wu-dong (Eo Udong)". Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
    7. ↑ "Click Korea: Access to Korean Arts & Culture". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
    8. ↑ "9 Foreign Language Films Continue to Oscar Race". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
    9. ↑ "South Korea submits The Front Line for Oscar race". Screendaily. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
    10. ↑ "63 Countries Vie for 2011 Foreign Language Film Oscar". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
    11. ↑ Noh, Jean (13 September 2012). "South Korea selects Pieta as Oscar submission". Screen International. EMAP. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
    12. ↑ "Korean Pic "Juvenile Offender" to Compete at the Oscars". Ten Asia. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
    13. ↑ "Korea Sets 'Sea Fog' on Foreign-Language Oscar Course". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
    14. ↑ Lee, Hyo-won (1 September 2015). "Oscars: South Korea Submits 'The Throne' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
    15. ↑ Kil, Sonia (30 August 2016). "Warner Bros.' 'Age of Shadows' Picked as Korea's Oscar Contender". Variety. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
    16. ↑ Kil, Sonia (4 September 2017). "Korea Hails 'A Taxi Driver' For Oscar Race". Variety. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
    17. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (7 September 2018). "Oscars: South Korea Selects 'Burning' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
    18. ↑ "Oscars: South Korea Selects Palme d'Or Winner 'Parasite' for International Feature Film Award". Variety. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
    19. ↑ "Parasite wins best international feature film Oscar". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
    20. ↑ Noh, Jean (21 October 2020). "South Korea submits 'The Man Standing Next' for 2021 Oscars". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
    21. ↑ "'Mogadishu' Selected as Representative of Korean Film for International Feature Film at Academy". Star News. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
    22. ↑ Bae Hyo-joo (22 December 2021). 올해 최고 흥행작 '모가디슈' 美 아카데미 시상식 진출 불발 ['Mogadishu', the highest-grossing film of the year, fails to advance to the Academy Awards]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
    23. ↑ "95th Oscars Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories". Oscars. 21 December 2022. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
    24. ↑ Frater, Patrick (17 August 2023). "International Oscar Race: Korea Selects Disaster Action Film 'Concrete Utopia'". Variety. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    25. ↑ "'12.12: The Day' chosen as Korea's Oscar entry". 4 September 2024.
    26. ↑ "박찬욱 '어쩔수가없다'…외신 극찬 '막을수가없다'". asiae.co.kr (in Korean). 2 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
    27. ↑ "98TH OSCARS® SHORTLISTS IN 12 AWARD CATEGORIES ANNOUNCED". oscars.org. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
    28. ↑ Patrick Brzeski (25 August 2026). "Oscars: South Korea Picks Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' as Best Int'l Feature Submission". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
    29. ↑ "Korean Film News in 2005". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
    30. ↑ "영화진흥위원회 홈페이지입니다". www.kofic.or.kr. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
    31. ↑ "'택시운전사' 로튼토마토 100%로 시작…아카데미 시상식 갈까?". 문화뉴스 (in Korean). 11 August 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
    32. ↑ "제92회 아카데미영화상 국제장편영화 부문 한국영화 출품작 심사 접수 결과". www.kobiz.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 12 January 2023.
    33. ↑ "제93회 아카데미영화상 국제장편영화 부문 한국영화 출품작 심사 접수 결과". www.kobiz.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 12 January 2023.
    34. ↑ "제94회 아카데미영화상 국제장편영화 부문 한국영화 출품작 접수 결과 공고". www.kobiz.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 12 January 2023.
    35. ↑ "영화진흥위원회 홈페이지입니다". kofic.or.kr. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
    36. ↑ "제96회 아카데미영화상 국제장편영화 부문 한국영화 출품작 심사 접수 결과". Korean Film Council. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
    37. ↑ "Announcement of the results of the submission of entries for the 97th Academy Awards International Feature Film Category". Korean Film Council. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
    38. ↑ "Oscars 2026: 'The Killers', 'Mimang', 'Hi-Five' and more, 19 movies submitted for International Film Feature category". The Times of India.
    39. ↑ "2027년 제99회 미국 아카데미영화상 국제장편영화 부문 한국 출품작 접수 결과 공지". Korean Film Council (in Korean). Retrieved 17 July 2026.
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