10 Korean Zombie Movies and Shows to Watch While You Wait for 'All of Us Are Dead' Season Two

Our top picks for those who have developed an appetite for thrilling zombie flicks

This article was originally published on February 4, 2022, and was updated on June 15, 2022.

Netflix has announced the return of its popular K-drama All of Us Are Dead. The announcement was made at the streaming giant's Geeked Week event this week.

First released on Netflix on January 28, the zombie high school K-drama topped Netflix's non-English language list: viewers spent a total of 123 million hours viewing the show. It’s also the fourth Korean series to top Netflix’s global weekly charts after Squid Game, Hellbound and The Silent Sea, and it went on to win at the 2021 Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA) and the 3rd Asia Contents Awards.

While there's no word on when All of Us Are Dead season two will be released, if you’ve finished watching season one and developed an appetite for the zombie genre, we’ve got you covered.

Here are our picks of Korean zombie movies and shows.

1. Train to Busan

Train to Busan is probably the most successful Korean zombie movie, which also further cemented Gong Yoo’s fame to international status and launched Ma Dong-seok into the limelight.

The movie directed by Yeon Sang-ho follows Seok-woo (Yoo) and his daughter (Kim Su-an) who are on a train heading to Busan. However, their journey takes a stop when they become trapped in a zombie outbreak in South Korea.

Due to the popularity and success of the movie, an English-language remake has been announced with Indonesian director, Timo Tjahjanto helming the film while Saw co-creator, James Wan serves as co-producer.

2. Peninsula

Peninsula is a 2020 South Korean action horror heist film directed by Yeon Sang-ho. A standalone sequel to the 2016 film Train to Busan, it follows a former soldier who's sent along with a team to retrieve a truck full of money from the wastelands of the Korean peninsula now inhabited by zombies, rogue militia, and a family.

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3. Kingdom

Kingdom is Netflix’s first original Korean title and premiered to critical acclaim. Penned by Kim Eun-hee and based on a webtoon series, the historical horror drama revolves around Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), the Crown Prince of Joseon, who is investigating a mysterious illness ravaging his kingdom.

In addition to saving his kingdom from the deadly plague, he’s also caught in the middle of a political powerplay to take his throne.

4. Kingdom: Ashin of the North

Ashin of the North is a special 92-minute episode of the Korean Netflix original television series Kingdom, and the thirteenth episode overall.

Aired after season two, it serves as a prequel to season one and explains the background of Ashin (Gianna Jun), the mysterious woman introduced at the end of season two, and the origin of the resurrection plant that turns people into flesh-eating monsters.

5. #Alive

#Alive centres around a video game live streamer, Oh Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in) and his fight for survival in his apartment in Seoul during a zombie apocalypse.

The film also stars Park Shin-hye as Kim Yoo-bin, another survivor who helps Oh. As #Alive was released during the height of the pandemic, many viewers echo the feelings of panic, fear, loneliness, uncertainty and isolation depicted in the movie.

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6. Happiness

Happiness marks the return of both its lead stars—Han Hyo-joo to the small screen and Park Hyung-sik since finishing his military service. The Korean drama is set in the near future following the release of a failed treatment drug which instead caused a pandemic known as the Rita Virus or mad person disease.

Those with the virus exhibit symptoms of deep bloodlust and eventually becoming a zombie. The South Korean military try to contain the spread of the virus through extensive measures, causing civil rights groups to protest against them.

7. Zombie Detective

If you’re looking for a break from the ravaging flesh-eating zombies then watch Zombie Detective which borders more on fantasy mystery rather than a horror thriller.

The K-drama follows Kang Min-ho (Choi Jin-hyuk) who wakes up and discovers he not only has amnesia but has also turned into a zombie. In order to blend into society, he trains himself to walk and talk like everybody else and eventually takes on the identity of a private detective while he works on solving his past.

He teams up with ex-investigate journalist Gong Sun-ji (Park Ju-hyun) who discovers his secret. The two work together to solve crimes and find out what’s happening to Kang.

8. Rampant

Before Kingdom graced our screens, there was Rampant—the first historical zombie film.

Starring Hyun Bin and Jang Dong-gun, the movie centres around the clash between exiled prince Lee Chung (Hyun Bin) and Minister of War, Kim Ja-joon (Jang Don-gun), all while a zombie virus plagues the kingdom.

The movie sees the reunion of Hyun Bin and director Kim Sung-hoon who previously worked on Confidential Assignment.

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9. The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale

If you don’t have the stomach for all the gore but still love zombie stories, then The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale is for you. This zombie comedy film revolves around the Park family whose lives turn upside down when their father gets bidden by a zombie.

The movie marks the debut feature of director Lee Min-jae and stars Jung Jae-young, Kim Nam-gil, Uhm Ji-won, Lee Soo-kyung, Jung Ga-ram, Park In-hwan, and more.

10. Seoul Station

Don’t pass on Seoul Station just because it’s an animated film. Written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the movie actually serves as a prequel to smash hit, Train to Busan and shows how the zombie virus began in the country.

The movie takes place around Seoul Station and follows three characters: Suk-gyu, a father looking for his runaway daughter, Hye-sun the runaway daughter and her boyfriend, Ki-woong.

More than a zombie movie, Seoul Station received praise for addressing some of South Korea’s societal issues.

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