List of South Korean submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
South Korea has submitted films to compete for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film 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. The Korean nominee is chosen annually by a special committee assembled by the Korean Film Council.
South Korea has submitted thirty-one films for consideration. In 2019, Burning became the first Korean film to make it to the final nine-film shortlist of the 91st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2020, Parasite became the first South Korean film to earn a nomination for Best International Feature Film; it also was the first Korean film nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. At the 92nd Academy Awards, Parasite won all four awards, becoming the first non-English language film to win Best Picture.
North Korea has never sought to participate in the competition, and has never sent any films.
South Korea's first three submissions were directed by Shin Sang-ok, as was their 1990 submission. Shin later became internationally famous after he claimed to have been held hostage in North Korea between 1978–1986, and forced to make movies for Kim Jong-Il. Lee Chang-dong has had three films selected to represent South Korea. Six other directors, Lee Doo-yong, Kim Ki-duk, Kim Tae-kyun, Lee Joon-ik, Jang Hoon and Bong Joon-ho, have had two of their films selected.
Submissions
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. 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 | Film title used in nomination | Korean title | Director | Result |
| 1962 | My Mother and the Roomer | 사랑방 손님과 어머니 | ||
| 1964 | The Dumb Samyong | 벙어리 삼룡 | ||
| 1966 | Rice | 쌀 | ||
| 1968 | Descendants of Cain | 카인의 후예 | ||
| 1969 | The Old Craftsman of Jar | 독 짓는 늙은이 | ||
| 1973 | Mute Samyong | 비련의 벙어리 삼룡 | ||
| 1984 | Mulleya Mulleya | 여인잔혹사 물레야 물레야 | ||
| 1985 | Eoudong | 어우동 | ||
| 1986 | Eunuch | 내시 | ||
| 1990 | Mayumi | 마유미 | ||
| 1994 | Life and Death of the Hollywood Kid | 헐리우드 키드의 생애 | ||
| 1995 | 301, 302 | 301 302 | ||
| 2000 | Chunhyang | 춘향뎐 | ||
| 2002 | Oasis | 오아시스 | ||
| 2003 | Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring | 봄, 여름, 가을, 겨울 그리고 봄 | ||
| 2004 | Taegukgi | 태극기 휘날리며 | ||
| 2005 | Welcome to Dongmakgol | 웰컴투 동막골 | ||
| 2006 | King and the Clown | 왕의 남자 | ||
| 2007 | Secret Sunshine | 밀양 | ||
| 2008 | Crossing | 크로싱 | ||
| 2009 | Mother | 마더 | ||
| 2010 | A Barefoot Dream | 맨발의 꿈 | ||
| 2011 | The Front Line | 고지전 | ||
| 2012 | Pietà | 피에타 | ||
| 2013 | Juvenile Offender | 범죄소년 | ||
| 2014 | Haemoo | 해무 | ||
| 2015 | The Throne | 사도 | ||
| 2016 | The Age of Shadows | 밀정 | ||
| 2017 | A Taxi Driver | 택시운전사 | ||
| 2018 | Burning | 버닝 | ||
| 2019 | Parasite | 기생충 |