Korean Movies Database: A Comprehensive Repository of Korean Cinema
For decades, Korean film history was fragmented. During the Japanese occupation (1910–1945), only 157 films were produced, most of which were lost or altered by colonial censorship. The Korean War further devastated physical archives. KMDb was established to reverse this erasure, acting as the digital storefront for KOFA’s massive preservation efforts, which include temperature-controlled warehouses in Sangam and Paju.
Data as of Q2 2026, based on KOFIC KMDB public extracts and aggregated box office analytics.
Further Extensions
- Genre shift: Horror and sci-fi will grow to 12–15% of output, driven by VFX advances.
- Female directors: Only 11% of KMDB directors are women (up from 4% in 2010). Expect slow growth to 18% by 2030.
- Animation: Korean animation (e.g., Leafie, Red Shoes) remains underperforming; fewer than 2 theatrical releases per year.
- Global co-productions: Entries with co-production status (USA, Japan, France) will double by 2028.
| Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | Title (KO) | Original Hangul title | | Title (RR) | Revised Romanization | | Title (EN) | International English title | | Alternative titles | Common former titles / working titles | | Year | Theatrical release year (primary) | | Country | South Korea (with possible co-productions) | | Status | Released / Festival premiere / Post-production / In development | | Runtime | Minutes (theatrical cut) | | Age rating | KMRB rating (All, 12, 15, 19, Restricted) | | Release date | Exact date (YYYY-MM-DD) | | Box office (KRW) | Domestic gross | | Admissions | Number of tickets sold (KOBIS standard) | | Budget | Estimated or official (if known) | | Summary | Short synopsis (150–250 words) | | Full description | Detailed plot (spoiler toggle) | | Tagline | Marketing tagline (if any) | | Poster | Main poster image (with fallback) | | Trailer URL | YouTube / Naver TV embed | | Still gallery | Array of images | | Awards | Major wins + nominations (local + international) | | Trivia | Behind-the-scenes facts |