Korean zombie movies have captivated audiences and redefined the boundaries of horror cinema worldwide. Beginning with ‘Train to Busan’ (2016), the first mainstream Korean zombie movie to surpass 10 million admissions and even earn a Guinness World Record for the highest-grossing Korean film at the global office, to ‘My Daughter is a Zombie’ (2025), which became the first title of 2025 in Korea to cross the 4 million admissions mark, Korean zombie tales have carved a unique space in the entertainment world.
Behind their gripping intensity lies the work of celebrated choreographer Jeon Young, who, over the past decade, has shaped the terrifying realism of zombies. Jeon, known for his innovative work in horror, science fiction, and especially zombie movies, is credited for choreographing the intricate movements in blockbusters like ‘Train to Busan’ (2016), ‘Kingdom’ (2019), ‘Peninsula’ (2020), ‘Happiness’ (2021), ‘Alienoid’ (2022), ‘Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938’ (2023), ‘Gyeongseong Creature 2’ (2024), ‘Alienoid 2: Return to the Future’ (2024), ‘Newtopia’ (2025), and more recently ‘My Daughter is a Zombie’ (2025).
However, Jeon first gained recognition as Korea’s first bone-breaking dancer. He is also the leader of Centipedz, Korea’s first bone-breaking troupe.
In an email interview between August 17 and September 6, Jeon described how his natural flexibility and desire to stand out drew him to the style. “At that time, the Korean dance scene was still dominated by styles that had been popular in the ’80s and ’90s. But with the ‘I want to be different’ mindset of my twenties—an artistic itch, you could say—combined with my natural flexibility, the moment I saw flexing dancers in Skrillex’s dubstep music video, I jumped straight into that genre,” he said.
This drive eventually led Jeon to the entertainment world, where he shaped his signature approach to choreography. His journey into films began when he was scouted through an audition for ‘The Wailing’ (2016), where he worked as a choreography trainer, crafting the moves for the movie and training the actors.
However, it was Jeon’s meeting with Director Yeon Sang-ho of ‘Train to Busan’ fame, whom he calls his “benefactor”, that he credits as the turning point of his career, opening the door to his path as a choreographer and defining the distinctive style of zombie movement that has become his hallmark.
Jeon’s interest in action and movement design within this genre stemmed from his long-standing enjoyment of horror and horror games. “The movements of creatures in the games I’ve played and the staging of fear within them have inspired me a lot, and thanks to that, I’ve been able to create the movements of monsters easily,” he explained.
Jeon’s hands-on approach—often demonstrating moves himself and even rolling on the floor during shoots—was influenced by his admiration for the ‘Jackass’ series, where Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and pro skater-turned-filmmaker Bam Margera executed wild stunts with skill and passion, and their dynamic way of completing missions joyfully left a deep impression on Jeon.
Such is Jeon’s dedication and skill to his craft that while the zombie actions and movements may seem seamless to the audience, for Jeon, a lot of research and preparation go into creating each zombie series. Explaining the process, he said, “I usually start by showing several designs based on the references the directors have in mind. This leads to many rounds of revisions. However, there were a few directors who liked my movements right away, for example, Director Yeon Sang-ho (‘Train to Busan’), Director Ahn Gil-ho (‘Happiness’), and Director Kang Shin-hyo (‘Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938’).”
Then comes training the actors for flexibility and agility, for which Jeon refers to his own manual, usually conducting sessions once a week for an average of 2–4 months.
Though the choreographer faces each project with a brand-new concept, creating new monsters is not easy. Especially designing the movements for alien robots in ‘Alienoid’ or the creatures in ‘Gyeongseong Creature 2’ posed significant challenges, with the initial concept phase being the hardest. However, creativity, he admits, is never a straight path.
“Creativity always hits moments of exhaustion or complete uncertainty, but I have special friends, namely Lee Si-hyun, Lee Jin-woo, Jo Gun-hee, Kwon Dae-hyun, and Jeong Tae-gi, who help me through it. They are friends with deeper knowledge and perspectives on comics and games, and are people who have played the same games with me for years,” he explained.
Thanks to his hard work and his friends’ support, Jeon is able to push through creative blocks and bring his vision to life on the sets. For him, the reward comes when a scene that he had practised for a long time gets nailed in just one or two takes on the set. He calls it “incredibly satisfying and exhilarating”.
The unique physical language Jeon has developed has not only earned respect from within the industry but has also captivated audiences worldwide. He was instrumental in shaping Korea’s distinctive zombie style, where the creatures are intelligent and fast, a stark contrast to Hollywood’s slow, mindless figures. Jeon attributes this transformation to director Yeon Sang-ho’s emphasis on speed for the zombies in ‘Train to Busan’, which made them swift, intelligent, and visually striking, with their movements enhanced by tight, confined spaces.
The international response has been overwhelmingly positive, with fans praising Jeon’s choreography on social media, giving him the gratifying sense that his work resonates globally. “Seeing praise in YouTube comments and on social media from overseas made me genuinely happy,” he said. “It made me realize that my work resonated on a global level.”
Reflecting on his decade-long journey since ‘Train to Busan’ till ‘My Daughter is a Zombie’, Jeon feels both growth and the toll of age. Yet what he emphasizes the most is gratitude. “Over the past 10 years, working on the movements of monsters across many genres has constantly challenged the limits I had imagined and has physically upgraded me a lot. On the other hand, I’ve also started to feel older and developed some aches. I am always deeply grateful to the filmmakers and friends who have given me advice and support along the way,” he shared.
*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.
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