Trailer: ‘18 Youth’
By Phil Mills | Mar 8, 2026
‘18 Youth’ (열여덟 청춘) is a 2026 South Korean coming-of-age drama written and directed by Eo Il-Seon.
The film explores the life of a rebellious eighteen-year-old student whose determination to escape her future begins to change after meeting an unconventional teacher. The cast includes Jeon So-Min, Kim Do-Yeon, Park Seo-Yeon, Song Ji-Yeon, and Chu So-Jung (EXY).
Synopsis: Soon-jung is an eighteen-year-old high school student who lives with her mother, a life insurance planner, and carries the familiar frustrations of adolescence—especially toward home and school. Dreaming of leaving everything behind after graduation, she plans to move to Africa, studying Swahili and working part-time at a convenience store to prepare for her escape. But her plans begin to waver when a new homeroom teacher, Hee-ju, arrives with unusually relaxed rules and unconventional ideas that quickly capture the students’ attention. As Soon-jung navigates the turbulence of being eighteen, this unexpected influence begins to challenge the future she had so carefully imagined. [© Far East Films]
‘18 Youth’ opens in cinemas in South Korea on March 25, 2026.
