#1 of 1,192 Highest-grossing Korean-language movie ever
2019 · Drama, Thriller
$262.6M worldwide
$53.8M US & Canada · 21% $208.8M elsewhere · 79%
Korean box office
Korean Box Office: Highest-Grossing Korean Movies of All Time & 2026 So Far
Parasite (2019) is the highest-grossing Korean-language movie in our database, with $262.6M worldwide, ahead of Ode to My Father (2015) ($184.8M) and The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014) ($138.3M). 1,192 Korean-language films report a worldwide gross, $9.7B in all, 2% of it from the US & Canada. 6 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. In 2026 so far, Colony (2026) leads with $53.2M; 6 releases took $112M, down 12% on the same days of 2025 ($126.7M).
- Korean films with a gross
- 1,192
- combined worldwide, all time
- $9.7B
- from 2026 releases so far
- $112M
- vs the same days of 2025
- −12%
#1 of 1,192 All-time records
What Are the 10 Highest-Grossing Korean Movies Ever?
Parasite (2019) leads with $262.6M, $77.8M ahead of Ode to My Father (2015). The top 10 took $1.3B together, 13% of what all 1,192 films earned. 6 of them came out in 2016 or later.
- 1 Oct 11, 2019 US and Canada: $53.8M Rest of the world: $208.8M Worldwide: $262.6M
- 2
Jan 9, 2015 US and Canada: $2.3M Rest of the world: $182.5M Worldwide: $184.8M - 3
Aug 15, 2014 US and Canada: $2.6M Rest of the world: $135.8M Worldwide: $138.3M - 4
Jan 25, 2019 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: $118.4M Worldwide: $119.9M - 5
Dec 22, 2017 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: $107.5M Worldwide: $109.4M - 6
May 18, 2022 US and Canada: $812.9K Rest of the world: $100.4M Worldwide: $101.2M - 7
Aug 1, 2018 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: $97.9M Worldwide: $99.1M - 8
Nov 22, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $97.5M - 9
Aug 7, 2015 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: $94.2M Worldwide: $96.1M - 10
Sep 18, 2015 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: $93.2M Worldwide: $94.4M
2026 so far
What Are the Biggest Korean Hits of 2026 So Far?
Colony (2026) leads with $53.2M, 48% of the total. The top 5 together took $111.9M, almost all of what the 6 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
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Number 1 -
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
By release month
Which Month of 2026 Was Best for Korean Movies?
August releases took the most, $53.2M from 1 film, led by Colony (2026). February was the quietest month ($9.3M). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- February Feb Even If This Love Disappears Tonight (2026) $9.3M Even If This Love Disappears Tonight (2026)
- March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- August Aug Colony (2026) $53.2M Colony (2026)
- September Sep Hope (2026) $49.5M Hope (2026)
- October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- November Nov No reported grosses – so far No reported grosses
Biggest years
Which Years Had the Highest-Grossing Korean Movies?
2019 releases earned the most: $835.7M from 74 films, led by Parasite (2019). The 10 biggest years, each linking to its chart.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 74 films | 74 | $835.7M | Parasite (2019) $262.6M |
| 2016 75 films | 75 | $691.3M | Train to Busan (2016) $92.8M |
| 2017 59 films | 59 | $688.3M | Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017) $109.4M |
| 2015 47 films | 47 | $665.7M | Ode to My Father (2015) $184.8M |
| 2018 67 films | 67 | $601.6M | Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018) $99.1M |
| 2013 36 films | 36 | $553.9M | Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013) $82.1M |
| 2014 40 films | 40 | $526.4M | The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014) $138.3M |
| 2012 40 films | 40 | $456.2M | The Thieves (2012) $87.1M |
| 2005 49 films | 49 | $451.5M | The King and the Clown (2005) $74.5M |
| 2010 45 films | 45 | $385.6M | Blades of Blood (2010) $82.2M |
By genre
Which Korean Genres Earned the Most?
Drama took $5.5B across 701 films, 57% of the total, ahead of Action ($4B) and Comedy ($3.5B). A film counts once for each of its genres.
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Drama $5.5B701 films · #1 Parasite (2019) -
Action $4B238 films · #1 Extreme Job (2019) -
Comedy $3.5B345 films · #1 Parasite (2019) -
Thriller $3.2B247 films · #1 Parasite (2019) -
Crime $2.3B185 films · #1 The Roundup (2022) -
Romance $1.3B254 films · #1 A Werewolf Boy (2012) -
History $1.1B46 films · #1 12.12: The Day (2023) -
Mystery $866.4M112 films · #1 Exhuma (2024) -
Adventure $794.4M39 films · #1 The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014) -
Horror $774.2M96 films · #1 Exhuma (2024)
Archive
Korean Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1958 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $835.7M, led by Parasite (2019).
2020s 7 years · $1.7B
2010s 10 years · $5.7B
- 2019 $835.7M #1 Parasite (2019)
- 2018 $601.6M #1 Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018)
- 2017 $688.3M #1 Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017)
- 2016 $691.3M #1 Train to Busan (2016)
- 2015 $665.7M #1 Ode to My Father (2015)
- 2014 $526.4M #1 The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014)
- 2013 $553.9M #1 Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013)
- 2012 $456.2M #1 The Thieves (2012)
- 2011 $343.9M #1 Sunny (2011)
- 2010 $385.6M #1 Blades of Blood (2010)
2000s 10 years · $2.1B
- 2009 $310M #1 Tidal Wave (2009)
- 2008 $305.4M #1 The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)
- 2007 $334.2M #1 May 18 (2007)
- 2006 $363.5M #1 200 Pounds Beauty (2006)
- 2005 $451.5M #1 The King and the Clown (2005)
- 2004 $160.1M #1 Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (2004)
- 2003 $35.3M #1 My Tutor Friend (2003)
- 2002 $172.3M #1 Sex Is Zero (2002)
- 2001 $1.8M #1 Friend (2001)
- 2000 $943.7K #1 Grass (2000)
1990s 5 years · $16.3M
1980s 3 years · $12.4M
1970s 2 years · $3.9M
1960s 3 years · $4.5M
1950s 1 year · $8M
Other languages
Compare Korean With Another Language
Korean has 1,192 films with a gross and $9.7B in all; each of these 16 languages has the same all-time and yearly charts to compare with.
English 
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Chinese 
Hindi 
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Arabic FAQ
Korean Box Office: Questions & Answers
The Korean charts in short: the all-time #1, 2026's leader, the billion-dollar hits and the biggest year, answered from the same 1,192 films as the charts.
What is the highest-grossing Korean-language movie of all time?
Parasite (2019) leads with $262.6M worldwide, $53.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Ode to My Father (2015) ($184.8M) and The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014) ($138.3M).
All-time chart What is the highest-grossing Korean-language movie of 2026 so far?
Colony (2026) leads 2026 with $53.2M worldwide, 48% of the $112M that its 6 releases report. Films of this year are still earning, so the order can change.
2026 chart How much have Korean-language movies earned at the box office?
1,192 Korean-language films report a worldwide gross, $9.7B in all, or $8.2M per film on average. $195.3M (2%) came from the US & Canada.
How many Korean-language movies have made $1 billion?
None. 6 films crossed $100 million, led by Parasite (2019) with $262.6M.
Which year was the biggest for Korean-language movies?
2019 releases earned the most: $835.7M from 74 films, led by Parasite (2019).
2019 chart How are Korean box office numbers counted?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films, is left out rather than shown as a fact, and so are films whose stored language is most likely wrong.