South Korean cinema is back in the global spotlight as director Park Chan Wook’s latest film, No Other Choic,e has advanced to the Academy Awards shortlist. Alongside this achievement, the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters has also received recognition for the 98th Oscars.
On December 16 (local time), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the preliminary nominations for 12 categories, including Best International Feature Film.
‘No Other Choice’ Nominated for Best International Feature Film
Park Chan Wook’s No Other Choice was selected as Korea’s official entry and made the shortlist of 15 films chosen from submissions by 86 countries and regions.
The shortlist places No Other Choice among a highly competitive group of internationally acclaimed works. Films advancing alongside Park’s include Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, and more. The full list includes
- No Other Choice
- Kokuho
- Homebound
- Belén
- The Secret Agent
- Sound of Falling
- The President’s Cake
- Palestine 36
- All That’s Left of You
- Sentimental Value
- Sirât
- The Voice of Hind Rajab
- Late Shift
- Left-handed Girl
The lineup is particularly strong this year as major festival favorites and celebrated directors are competing for final nomination spots.
About “No Other Choice” and Its Story
No Other Choice stars Lee Byung Hun and Son Ye Jin and tells the story of Man Soo, a company employee who once felt he had “achieved everything” in life. After suddenly losing his job, Man Soo launches his own desperate battle for re-employment to protect his wife Mi Ri, their two children, and the home he worked so hard to buy. The film blends dark comedy with social commentary and is based on Donald Westlake’s novel The Ax, a project Park Chan Wook reportedly developed for more than 15 years.
The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and was released in South Korea on September 24,. It has already become an awards-season favorite, including multiple Golden Globe nominations.
KPop Demon Hunters Earns Best Original Song Recognition
Korean content also made its mark in the music categories. Out of the total 65 eligible songs, Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters was shortlisted for Best Original Song with its OST track “Golden.” The song will compete against high-profile contenders such as Wicked: For Good’s “The Girl in the Bubble” and “No Place Like Home,” Avatar: Fire and Ashes’s “Dream as One,” and F1’s “Drive.”
The full list includes
- As Alive As You Need Me To Be” (“Tron: Ares”)
- “Dear Me” (“Diane Warren: Relentless”)
- “Dream As One” (“Avatar: Fire and Ash”)
- “Drive” (“F1”)
- “Dying To Live” (“Billy Idol Should Be Dead”)
- “The Girl In The Bubble” (“Wicked: For Good”)
- “Golden” (“KPop Demon Hunters”)
- “Highest 2 Lowest” (“Highest 2 Lowest”)
- “I Lied To You” (“Sinners”)
- “Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” (“Sinners”)
- “No Place Like Home” (“Wicked: For Good”)
- “Our Love” (“The Ballad of Wallis Island”)
- “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” (“Come See Me in the Good Light”)
- “Sweet Dreams Of Joy” (“Viva Verdi!”)
- “Train Dreams” (“Train Dreams”)
KPop Demon Hunters has become one of Netflix’s most-watched animated films, and “Golden,” performed by the fictional group HUNTR/X, has become a global favorite.
What’s Next on the Road to the Oscars 2026
The Academy Awards are the world’s most prestigious film honors, hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The final Oscars 2026 nominees will be out on January 22, 2026. The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles.
