sageuk

'''' (; ) in Korean denotes historical dramas, including traditional drama plays, films or television series. In English language literature usually refers to historical films and television series (of South Korea). In North Korea, South Korean historical dramas are generally called 고전 영화 (Hanja: 古典 映畫, RR: Gojeon Yeonghwa) or classic film.

The first known historical film, The Story of Chun-hyang'' filmed in 1923, was directed by a Japanese filmmaker. The first Korean sound film was also . The heyday of Korean cinema began in the 1950s and lasted until the 1980s, with many films released, like Lee Gyu-hwan's Chunhyang adaptation in 1955. In the 1960s, historical melodramas were significant, as well as martial arts films. In the 1970s, due to the popularity of television, cinema started to decline, and in the 1980s it encountered a crisis, which prompted filmmakers to try to win viewers back with erotic pieces. From the 1990s, Im Kwon-taek's movies, as well as The Legend of Gingko and The Eternal Empire are significant works. From the 2000s, films started flourishing, between 2012 and 2015 Korean cinema produced five that broke the 10 million viewership record. As of 2016 June, the highest grossing South Korean film is also a historical drama: The Admiral: Roaring Currents.