With cherry blossoms fading and Family Month upon us, Korea turns its focus to gratitude, home, and relationships. May is packed with Children’s Day, Parents’ Day, Teachers’ Day, and Couple’s Day — and a buzzworthy slate of films perfect for families and couples is about to drop.
From the kid-friendly Heartsping : Teenieping of Love - Special Edition to a date-night-ready live Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, the comedy student teaching, and the cling-to-your-crush zombie thriller Swarm — the genres are all over the map. Here are the must-see May releases.
▲ Heartsping : Teenieping of Love - Special Edition
Overview Animation, 87 minutes
Release 2026.05.01.
Cast Lee Ji-hyun, Cho Kyung-i, Choi Nak-yoon, Yeo Min-jeong
With Teenieping: Legend of the Whale Heartstone set for a summer debut, the 1.24-million-viewer hit Heartsping: Teenieping of Love (dir. Kim Soo-hoon) returns on May 1 as Heartsping : Teenieping of Love - Special Edition, complete with a post-credits scene.
The film captures the fateful first meeting of Romi and Heartsping, serving up friendship and first-crush flutter to delight everyone from kids to teens and family audiences alike.
▲ Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour
Overview Concert film
Release 2026.05.06.
Starring Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour is a cinematic concert movie born from a cross-generational, cross-industry collaboration between Gen Z’s top pop icon Billie Eilish and visionary filmmaker James Cameron.
It captures the July 2025 show at Co-op Live in Manchester, UK — Europe’s largest indoor arena.
▲ student teaching
Overview Comedy, 95 minutes
Release 2026.05.13.
Cast Han Sun-hwa, Hong Ye-ji, Yeoreum, Lee Hwa-won, Yoo Seon-ho
student teaching is a high school horror-comedy where passionate Gen MZ trainee teacher Eunkyeong faces off against the "CSAT ghost" and ends up sitting a deadly mock exam with members of an occult club. Han Sun-hwa leads as Eunkyeong with a fiery performance.
It’s the latest by director Kim Min-ha, a Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival favorite with invitations four years running.
▲ Swarm
Overview Action, 122 minutes
Release 2026.05.21.
Cast Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been
Swarm follows survivors trapped in a locked-down building during a mysterious outbreak as they battle the infected — who keep evolving in terrifying, unpredictable ways. The film drew early buzz for its stacked cast: Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, and Shin Hyun-been.
▲ Mr Shota's Last Business Trip
Overview Drama, 122 minutes
Release 2026.05.27.
Cast Jinyoung, Otani Ryohei, Shirakawa Kazuko
Mr Shota's Last Business Trip tells a life-affirming, cross-border story set in Japan and Korea after Shota (Otani Ryohei) and Daesung (Jinyoung) accidentally swap a resignation letter and a love letter.
They’re joined by scene-stealing performers Lee Jun-hyuk and Oh Tae-kyung, plus Japanese actors Shirakawa Kazuko and Uchida Chika, and child actor Yokokawa Ryoto.