List of North Korean films
This is a list of North Korean films and film series from September 1948 to present. Films, and film parts or halves with names, that are part of film series or multi-part films are not included separately to keep the list shorter and more readable. For South Korean films from September 1948 see list of South Korean films. Earlier Korean films made during Japanese rule are in the list of Korean films of 1919–1948. For an alphabetical list of Korean language films, see list of Korean language films.
List of films
| Year | English title | Original title | Director | Cast | Genre | Notes | |
| 1949 | My Home Village | 내 고향 | Kang Hong-sik | Yu Wonjun, Yu Kyongae, Mun Yebong | War film | First North Korean feature film | |
| 1950 | Announcing to the World | Documentary | |||||
| 1950 | Righteous War | Released during Korean War | |||||
| 1950 | The Blast Furnace | Min Chongshik | Released during Korean War | ||||
| 1950 | Guards on the Crossing | Released during Korean War | |||||
| 1951 | Boy Partisans | Yoon Yong-Gyu | Documentary | Released during Korean War | |||
| 1952 | Again to the Front | Chon Sangin | Released during Korean War | ||||
| 1953 | The Combat Unit of a Fighter Plane | ||||||
| 1953 | Scouts | Chon Dong-min | Pak Hak, Chon Unbong, Choe Unbong | ||||
| 1956 | Never Can Live Like That | ||||||
| 1956 | The Road of Happiness | ||||||
| 1957 | Orang Chon | Riyong Gyu Yun | Hak Su Kim, Hyo Gyong Dzo, Un Bong Che, Dzong Bok Mun, Sob Pak | ||||
| 1959 | The Tale of 15 Children | War movie | Released in two parts. | ||||
| 1959 | Love the Future | ||||||
| 1963 | The Spinner | O Byong-cho | |||||
| 1965 | Boidchi annun dchonson | ||||||
| 1968 | Sea of Blood | 피바다 | Choe Ik-gyu | Drama | Released in two parts. Based on Korean revolutionary opera of same name. | ||
| 1970 | Naega cadshun gil | Seng In Chen | Gil-sen Om, Hye-rim Song, Hak Pak, In-sun Hon, Hak-mag Mun | Drama | |||
| 1972 | Flower Girl | 꽃파는 처녀 | Choe lk-gyu Pak Hak | Winner of Prix Special at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival | |||
| 1976 | Ichulsu omnym saram | Ki Mo Jung | Yae Yon Yung, Kyong Sun Yu, Tae Hyon Choe, In Hi U, Pyong Yun Kim | Action | |||
| 1977 | A Fire Burning All Over the World | A film about Kim family members' Kang Pan-sok's and Kim Hyong Gwon's revolutionary deeds. It was also the first film in which Kim Il-sung was portrayed. | |||||
| 1978 | Center Forward | ||||||
| 1978–1981 | Unknown Heroes | 이름 없는 영웅들 | James Joseph Dresnok | A multi-part serial made between 1978–81. Also known as Unsung Heroes or Nameless Heroes | |||
| 1979 | Ummisadul sogese | ||||||
| 1979 | An Jung Gung Shoots Ito Hirobumi | Om Gil-son | Drama | Presented at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Released in two parts. See An Jung-geun. | |||
| 1980 | The Tale of Chunhyang | See The Tale of Chunhyang | |||||
| 1982 | On the Juche Idea | Short film/Documentary | See Juche | ||||
| 1982 | Wolmi Island | 월미도 | Historical/War | See Wolmido | |||
| 1982 | ' | 숲은 설레인다 | Yong-bok Jang | Drama | |||
| 1983 | The Anti-Japanese Struggle | See anti-Japanese struggle | |||||
| 1984 | A Hedgehog Defeats a Tiger | Children's film | |||||
| 1984 | An Emissary of No Return | Doraoji annun milsa | Shin Sang-ok | Shin's first film in North Korea. Based on a stage play named Bloody Conference | |||
| 1984 | Love, Love, My Love | Sarang sarang nae sarang | Shin Sang-ok | Choi Eun-hee | |||
| 1984 | Runaway | Talchulgi | Shin Sang-ok | Considered by Shin to be his best North Korean film | |||
| 1985 | Hae uh juh Unjeh ggah jee | ||||||
| 1985 | Pulgasari | 불가사리 | Shin Sang-ok | Kaiju | |||
| 1985 | Salt | Sogum | Shin Sang-ok | Choi Eun-hee | Choi won Best Actress award at Moscow Film Festival | ||
| 1985 | The Tale of Shim Chong | Sincheongjeon | Shin Sang-ok | ||||
| 1986 | A Traffic Controller on Crossroads | Phyo Kwang | |||||
| 1986 | Hong Kil Dong | 홍길동 | Kim Kil-in | Chang Son Hui, Gwon Ri, Riyonun Ri, Yong Ho Ri, Kenpachiro Satsuma | First North Korean entertainment film | ||
| 1986 | Order No. 027 | Ki Mo Jung, Eung Suk Kim | Sung Chol Cha, Jeong Woon Kim | Fighting | |||
| 1986 | One Second for a Feat | Sekunda na podvig | Gil-sen Om, Eldor Urazbayev | Andrei Martynov, Chhan-su Chve and Oleg Anofriev | Adventure/War | DPR Korea/Soviet Union co-production | |
| 1986 | Kangrung chonyowa Pyöngyang dzholmuni | Yong Bok Chang | Kuang Chun Ryu, Ryon-gu Nam and In-suk Ro | ||||
| 1987 | A Bellflower | 도라지꽃 | Also known as A Broad Bellflower | ||||
| 1987 | A Country I Saw | Ko Hak Rim | Pak Ki Ju, Kim Ryong Rin, Pak Song | Released in five parts | |||
| 1987 | My Happiness | Young-Ho Kim | Ock Heel Kim | ||||
| 1988 | From Spring to Summer | Utomlyonnoye solntse | Nikita Orlov, San Bok Pak | Elena Drobysheva, Chkhol Kim, Yuriy Kuznetsov, Aleksey Buldakov, Gyen Sob So, Yen-gin Kim, Yun-hon Kim, Tõnu Mikiver | A Soviet Union-North Korea co-production. | ||
| 1988 | Gandahar | French co-production. | |||||
| 1988 | ' | Ferdinando Baldi Pak Jong-ju | Italian co-production. | ||||
| 1988 | Utomlyonnoye solntse | Nikita Orlov, San Bok Pak | Elena Drobysheva, Chkhol Kim and Yuriy Kuznetsov | DPR Korea/Soviet Union co-production. | |||
| 1990s | Fighting Animals | Nature documentary | At least 5 volumes of the documentary film series exist. It was made by Joseon Science Film Studio. In 2006 the documentary raised concern that animals at Korea Central Zoo were being mistreated. | ||||
| 1990 | From 5p.m. to 5a.m. | ||||||
| 1990 | Prince Ho Dong and Princess of Raknang | Children's film | |||||
| 1990 | The Shore of Rescue | Bereg Spasenya | Arya-zhav Dashiev, Ryu-kho Son | Dmitry Matveev, Viktor Stepanov, Boris Nevzorov, Vitaly Serov, Aleksandr Slastin | The last Soviet Union-North Korea co-production. | ||
| 1992-2003 | Nation and Destiny | Multi-part film released in 62 parts | |||||
| 1993 | An Unattached Unit | ||||||
| 1993 | ' | Comedy/Drama | |||||
| 1994 | Always Working Together for the People | Documentary | |||||
| 1994 | Bear's Hill and Rabbit's Hill | Children's film | |||||
| 1994 | My Village at Sunset | Norodom Sihanouk | Norodom Sihamoni, San Chariya and Mam Kanika | Romance/Drama | Cambodia co-production | ||
| 1994 | Oh, Youth! | 청춘이여! | Comedy | Also known as Young People | |||
| 1996 | Quiet Front Line | War | |||||
| 1997 | Myself in the Distant Future | 먼 후날의 나의 모습 | Jang In-hak | ||||
| 1998 | CyberMercs | ||||||
| 1999 | Chu uk sok eh Young won han ree ran | ||||||
| 2000 | Korean Women's Costume, Chima and Jogori | Documentary | See Hanbok | ||||
| 2000 | Marathon Runner | Li Chju Ho | Jong Song Ok | Drama | |||
| 2000 | Mt. Chilbo, Noted Mountain of Korea | Documentary | See Mt. Chilbo | ||||
| 2000 | Souls Protest | 살아있는 령혼들 | Kim Chun-song | ||||
| 2001 | On the Green Carpet | 푸른 주단우에서 | Rim Chang-bom | Romantic comedy | |||
| 2001 | Welcome to Pyongyang Animal Park | 어서오세요 | Yoon Chan | Coming-of-age story | |||
| 2002 | Historic Relics in Pyongyang | Documentary | |||||
| 2002 | In the Days of Creating Extravaganza "Arirang" | Documentary | |||||
| 2002 | Spirit of Korean Celadon | 청자의 넋 | Phyo Kwang | ||||
| 2002 | The Blood Stained Route Map | 피묻은 약패 | Phyo Kwang | Released in two halves | |||
| 2003 | Our Fragrance | 우리의 향기 | Jon Jong Pal | Comedy | |||
| 2005 | They Were Common Fighters | 그들은 평범한 전사들이였다 | |||||
| 2005 | Empress Chung | 왕후 심청 | Nelson Shin | North-South co-production. Unusually for Korean film industry, the character voices were separately recorded in both North and South due to differences in dialect. | |||
| 2006 | Pyongyang International Film Festival | Documentary | See Pyongyang International Film Festival | ||||
| 2006 | Pyongyang Nalpharam | 평양 날파람 | Phyo Kwang Maeng Cheol-min | ||||
| 2006 | The Schoolgirl's Diary | 한 녀학생의 일기 | Jang In-hak | Pak Mi-hyang, Kim Chol, Kim Yong-suk | Also known in alternate titles A Schoolgirl’s Diary and The Journal of a Schoolgirl. Distributed in limited release abroad. | ||
| 2007 | A Butterfly and a Cock | Children's film | |||||
| 2007 | A Present from the Old Tree | Children's film | |||||
| 2007 | Extraordinary Crime Against Humanity of the 20th Century | Documentary | |||||
| 2007 | Swordtail Brothers | Children's film | |||||
| 2007 | The 25th April Spring Friendship Art Festival | Documentary | |||||
| 2007 | The Boy Takes Revenge | Children's film | |||||
| 2007 | The Idle Pig | Children's film | |||||
| 2007 | The Oriole's Song | Children's film | |||||
| 2008 | The Kites Flying in the Sky | 하늘을 나는 연들 | Phyo Kwang Kim Hyon-chol | ||||
| 2008 | The Respected Comrade Supreme Commander Is Our Destiny | 경애하는 최고사령관동지는 우리의 운명 | Documentary | ||||
| 2010 | Along the Climbing Route of Love for People | Documentary | |||||
| 2011 | Brighter is our Future | Kim Yong | Kim Chol-nam | ||||
| 2011 | Case Closed | Chong Yong-min | Choe Kyong-hui | ||||
| 2011 | Do People Know You | Ri Kwan-am | Mun Jong-ae | ||||
| 2011 | Flower in Snow | 눈속에 핀 꽃 | |||||
| 2011 | The Morning Glow of the Countryside | ||||||
| 2012 | Comrade Kim Goes Flying | 김동무는 하늘을 난다 | Kim Gwang Hun, Nicholas Bonner, Anja Daelemans | Romantic comedy | A joint British-Belgian-North Korean production. | ||
| 2012 | The Daisy Girl | ||||||
| 2012 | The Explosive Remover | ||||||
| 2015 | Rice Flower | 벼꽃 | |||||
| The Tale of Hung Bu | |||||||
| The Family of Choe Hak Sin | |||||||
| A Locomotive Engineer's Son | |||||||
| On the Railways | |||||||
| The Path to Awakening | Om Kil-son | Released in two parts. | |||||
| When We Pick Apples | |||||||
| A Flourishing Village | |||||||
| Black Rose | |||||||
| The Girl Barber | |||||||
| The Story of a Nurse | |||||||
| You've Taken Me Wrong | |||||||
| To the End of the Earth | |||||||
| An Unforgettable Man | |||||||
| The Songs Sung on the Frontline | |||||||
| I'll Beat the Drum | |||||||
| The Prosecutor Accuses | |||||||
| Notes of a War Correspondent | |||||||
| We Are the Happiest | |||||||
| The Red Maple Leaves | Released in seven parts. | ||||||
| Flying Circus | |||||||
| A Day at the Pleasure Ground | |||||||
| The Tale of On Dal | |||||||
| Our Street | |||||||
| Song of Love | |||||||
| A New Legend on the Piryu | |||||||
| The Story of the Kayagum | |||||||
| A Day Before | |||||||
| Run and Run | |||||||
| The Girl We Met on Our Trip | |||||||
| Ask Yourself | |||||||
| The Story of a Blooming Flower | |||||||
| Let's Go to Mt. Kumgang | See Mt. Kumgang | ||||||
| Cradle | Released in two parts. | ||||||
| Unqualified Sense of Duty | |||||||
| Harang and General Jin | Released in two parts. | ||||||
| We Met Again on Mt. Myohyang | See Mt. Myohyang | ||||||
| An Ambitious Girl | |||||||
| A Happy Family with Songs | |||||||
| An Obliging Girl | |||||||
| Kwangju Appeals | See Kwangju uprising | ||||||
| An Architect's Story | Released in two parts. | ||||||
| The Dear Nest | |||||||
| After a Long Separation | |||||||
| Rim Kkok Jong | Released in five parts | ||||||
| In Their Noble Image | |||||||
| Don't Wait for Us | |||||||
| The Road to the Front | Released in two halves | ||||||
| Morning Star | |||||||
| My Mother Was a Hunter | |||||||
| Song of Memories | |||||||
| Stretcher Platoon Leader | |||||||
| The Outpost Line | |||||||
| What I Must Do | |||||||
| Japanese Invasion in 1592 | See Imjin War. Released in three parts | ||||||
| Affection-Permeated Land | Released in two halves | ||||||
| They Met on the Taedong River | Released in two parts | ||||||
| Two Families in Haeun-dong | |||||||
| Eternal Comrade-in-Arms | |||||||
| A Life Full of Ups and Downs | Released in four parts | ||||||
| The Third Golden Medal | |||||||
| Airman Kil Yong Jo | |||||||
| Mother's Happiness | |||||||
| Notes of a Woman Soldier | |||||||
| Traces of Life | Released in two halves | ||||||
| Their Life Continues | Released in two parts | ||||||
| My Father | |||||||
| Trunks Grow from Roots | Released in two parts | ||||||
| My Last Home | |||||||
| Inheritance | Released in two parts | ||||||
| Kang Ho Yong | |||||||
| The Lieutenant of Those Days | |||||||
| The Call of the Naval Port | |||||||
| The Great Bear | |||||||
| The White Birch of Mt. Paektu | |||||||
| White Gem | Released in two parts | ||||||
| Lifeline | |||||||
| Distress | |||||||
| A Day of Training | |||||||
| Song of the East Sea | Released in two parts | ||||||
| Petition | |||||||
| This Is My Hometown | |||||||
| The Name Given by the Era | |||||||
| The Poplar Company | |||||||
| My Family | |||||||
| Our Political Instructor | |||||||
| Bright Sunshine | Released in two parts. Also known as Lovely Sunshine | ||||||
| The Wheels of Happiness | |||||||
| Brotherly Feeling | |||||||
| The Big-game Hunter | |||||||
| Wish | |||||||
| The World-famous Peak | Documentary | ||||||
| Mt. Kuwol, A Scenic Spot by the West Sea of Korea | Documentary | See Mt. Kuwol | |||||
| Mt. Jongbang | Documentary | ||||||
| The End of the US Armed Spy Ship Pueblo' | Documentary | See USS Pueblo | |||||
| Aspect of Pyongyang | Documentary | ||||||
| The Secret of Nano Addition | Documentary | A multi-part documentary | |||||
| The Turtle-ship, a Pride of Korean Nation | Documentary | See Turtle ship | |||||
| Profitable Sea Cucumber Farming | Documentary | ||||||
| Growth Hormone | Documentary | ||||||
| Korean Traditional Dish-Ssukttok | Documentary | ||||||
| Earthquake – Moving Flat Mass | Documentary | A multi-part documentary. | |||||
| Let's Prevent Bird Flu | Documentary | ||||||
| Bears and Rabbits | Children's film | ||||||
| Keep Traffic Rules | Children's film | A multi-part film. The first part is named Chol Nam's Ball | |||||
| Let Us Take Medicine in Time | Children's film, Educational film | ||||||
| Crabs and a Crane | Children's film | ||||||
| Reception of Metal Samples | Children's film | ||||||
| Bird | |||||||
| Breakwater | |||||||
| Brother's Feelings | |||||||
| Call of Naval Port | |||||||
| Changes of Pyongyang During the Forced March | |||||||
| A Checkered Life | |||||||
| Daughter of War Veteran | |||||||
| The Defenders of Height 1211 | |||||||
| Ding of Love | |||||||
| The Earth of Love | |||||||
| Everlasting Comrade-in-Arms | Om Kil-son | ||||||
| The Evil Night | |||||||
| A Far-Off Islet | |||||||
| A Fate of Kum Hui and Un Hui | Om Kil-son | ||||||
| Female Medical Doctor | |||||||
| Five Guerilla Brothers | Om Kil-son | ||||||
| Follow What We Are Doing | |||||||
| Footsteps | |||||||
| Forever in Our Memory | |||||||
| The 14th Winter | |||||||
| Girls in My Hometown | |||||||
| Green Shoulder-Strap | |||||||
| Korea | |||||||
| The Lieutenant in Those Days | |||||||
| Lightning and Thunder | |||||||
| The Man Who Remained in My Heart | |||||||
| Military Service | |||||||
| Moranbong | See Moranbong | ||||||
| A Mother's Hope | |||||||
| My New Family | |||||||
| The Name Given by the Era | |||||||
| Namgang Village Women | |||||||
| The Name Given by the Era | |||||||
| Ongjongryon | |||||||
| Orang River | |||||||
| Our Life | |||||||
| Paek Il Hong | |||||||
| Peony | |||||||
| A Photo | |||||||
| The Problem in My Wife's Parents' Home | |||||||
| The Problem in Our Family | |||||||
| The Problem of Elder Brother's Family | |||||||
| The Problem of Our Downstairs Neighbor | |||||||
| The Problem of Our Upstairs Neighbor | |||||||
| The Problem of Son-in-Law's Family | |||||||
| A Red Agitator | The movie was awarded with the People's Prize in 1962. | ||||||
| The Red Flower | |||||||
| Red Wings | |||||||
| Rescued on the Shore | |||||||
| Revenge in the Tiger Cage | |||||||
| Righteous Struggle | |||||||
| The Road I Found | |||||||
| Scenery of Seoul in War | |||||||
| The Separation | |||||||
| A Silver Hairpin | |||||||
| Sisters | |||||||
| Snow Melts in Spring | Also known as Thaw. | ||||||
| Son Comes Back Home | |||||||
| Song Chung-hyan | |||||||
| Star of Korea | Om Kil-son | ||||||
| The Sun of the Nation | Om Kil-son | ||||||
| Squirrel and Hedgehog | |||||||
| A Tale of Noblemen | |||||||
| This is Where My Life Was Settled | |||||||
| Thousand Miles Along the Railroad | |||||||
| True Life Continues | |||||||
| A Waiting Girl | |||||||
| Wandering | |||||||
| We Must Not Return | |||||||
| Woman Warrior of Koryo | |||||||
| Young People Bloom Their Native Land | |||||||
| Youth in Ship "Seagull" | |||||||
| Daughter of the Sun | The movie was awarded with the People's Prize in 1962. | ||||||
| Demarcation Line in the Town | The movie was awarded with the People's Prize in 1962. | ||||||
| Sunflower | The movie was awarded with the People's Prize in 1962. | ||||||
| 6,25 | Documentary |