Your Ultimate Guide To The Best Romantic K-Dramas
There’s something for everyone!
Nobody does romance like Korean TV shows. Romantic K-dramas have become the country’s soft power, along with K-pop, the Squid Game memes and the unbelievable skincare. Whether you like weepy, drama-filled tales of love or you’re a fan of the sizzling chemistry between the leads that also makes you giggle and laugh, there’s something for every kind of romance fan.
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But if you’re someone who gets easily overwhelmed with choices, there could be a problem of plenty with all the romantic K-dramas available online. Fret not, we’ve got your back.
Here are some of the best romantic K-dramas out there sorted according to your preferences. Happy watching!
Best Romantic K-Dramas To Watch On Netflix And Viki
Romantic K-dramas that have all the drama
These K-dramas have it all: grand declarations of love, plot twists, action, adventure, and so much drama…
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Crash Landing On You (2019)
Easily one of the best K-dramas of all time, Crash Landing On You broke many viewership records at the time of its release. The show also ushered in a new wave of romantic K-drama fans into the fold, all thanks to the beautiful love story and the chemistry between the leads. The story of the star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the border between North and South Korea caught the imagination of fans across the world.
Watch it here
Descendants Of The Sun (2016)
The show became so popular around the world that it boosted tourism in South Korea. It follows the tumultuous love story between a soldier belonging to the South Korean Special Forces and a surgeon amid a war. Aside from the main couple’s intense storyline, the show also featured one of the best second leads storylines of all time.
Watch it here
The Trunk (2024)
Based on the novel of the same name by Kim Ryeo-ryeong, the show follows two strangers whose lives get intertwined when they enter into a contract marriage. There’s Noh In-ji, the wife-for-hire at a mysterious contract marriage agency who is battling demons of her own. Then there’s reclusive music producer Han Jeong-won, Noh In-ji’s new (temporary) husband, who wants to save his previous marriage at any cost. But as the two spend more time together, they start forming a genuine connection that could be the beginning of love. But will they continue to follow their heart after the contract is up?
Watch it here
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Crash Course In Romance (2023)
We’ve all seen how competitive the race to get into a good college in Korea is, thanks to the nightmare-inducing Sky Castle. This one takes a lighter approach to the phenomenon of intense entrance exam training through an unexpected romance between a hardworking restaurant owner, who wants her daughter to get the best coaching for a good chance at cracking the exams, and a celebrity math tutor. The sweet romance is one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean cable history.
Watch it here
Boys Over Flowers (2009)
If there’s one drama that can be credited for ushering in the hallyu wave much before popular dramas like Descendants of the Sun and Crash Landing On You, it’s this one. It follows a working-class girl who gets the chance to study at an elite school but catches the attention of a group of popular and wealthy young men. The drama is set to have set a template for Korean high school series and, over the years, became a cultural phenomenon.
Watch it here
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Romantic K-dramas that will make you laugh
If you’re a fan of romantic comedies, these K-dramas should be on your watchlists. These will make you laugh, cry, swoon, and then laugh some more…
Her Private Life (2019)
Sung Duk-mi works as an art gallery curator but she moonlights as the manager of one of the biggest fan sites dedicated to her favourite K-pop idol. She has to hide her secret fangirl identity at work to retain her job, but it becomes difficult when she clashes with her arrogant and aloof new boss Ryan Gold. There are enough shenanigans in this enemies-to-lovers/fake dating love story that will keep you hooked.
Watch it here
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (2018)
This one was Park Min-young’s first time starring in a romantic comedy show. And what a start it was! The show follows a talented yet insufferably arrogant vice chairman of a company who finds his world thrown into a tizzy when his dependable and dedicated secretary decides to quit unexpectedly. Now it’s up to him to figure out why she quit and how he can make her stay. K-drama heartthrob Park Seo-joon starred opposite Park Min-young in this one, cementing their popularity as one of the most beloved onscreen couples
Watch it here
Shooting Stars (2023)
This romantic drama gave us a peek into what goes on behind the glamorous lives of South Korean actors and celebrities. The story focuses on the love story between a famous actor and the PR head of his management agency who struggles to create the perfect image for him. The drama has romance, (a little) angst, and well-etched-out secondary love stories!
Watch it here
Love To Hate You (2023)
This 10-episode series follows a feminist attorney who knows how to kick a** and take names and a top star who is suspicious of all women. Their paths cross when a scandal has them agree to fake date each other for the public. Needless to say, the lines between fake and real feelings soon start to blur. Watch it for Kim Ji-hoon’s stunning long hair and smouldering looks. It will be worth it!
Watch it here
Strong Girl Bong-soon (2017)
In the show, the titular Bong-soon is born with superhuman strength, a trait shared by all the women in her family. Thanks to this, she lands a job as the bodyguard to the rich heir and CEO of a gaming company Ahn Min-hyuk. A series of comical situations and misadventures bring them closer and the rest, as they, is the stuff all good rom-coms are made of.
Watch it here
Romantic K-dramas that will make you cry
If you love a good cathartic cry session every once in a while, give these K-dramas a go…
Queen Of Tears (2024)
With a name like this, you shouldn’t be surprised that this one is a tearjerker. It follows a couple whose marriage has reached a breaking point. But when they encounter a crisis, it forces them to confront their issues and think about why they got together in the first place. Aside from many awards and accolades, the drama also earned the title of the most-watched Korean show on Netflix.
Watch it here
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)
The surprisingly deep and sensitive portrayal of mental health issues sets this one apart. This award-winning drama follows an anti-social children’s book writer who moves to her hometown to pursue a psych ward caretaker after finding out that their pasts overlapped with each other. The show follows how they heal each other’s emotional wounds and move forward in their lives.
Watch it here
Mr Sunshine (2018)
For fans of historic melodramas, this one is perfect for you. Set in the early 1900s, the critically acclaimed show focuses on activists fighting for Korea’s independence, including Eugene Choi. He meets and falls in love with Go Ae-shin, a nobleman’s daughter, but their love story is challenged by their different classes and the presence of Hui-seong, the man betrothed to Ae-shin.
Watch it here
Romantic K-dramas that have supernatural elements
For fantasy lovers, these K-dramas will hit the right marks. From time travel to immortal beings, they have it all…
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016)
The drama is filled with intriguing mythological and fantastical characters at the centre of whom is Kim Shin, a former army general who was cursed to become immortal. Now, in modern-day Korea, he is living a lonely life when he meets Ji Eun-tak, an orphan who can see ghosts and is the fabled Goblin’s bride who can end his misery by finally killing him for good. While the central love story (and the second leads one) is great, it’s the reluctant relationship between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper that has all our hearts.
Watch it here
The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)
Set in two parallel worlds, the drama centers around emperor Lee Gon, of Corea, and detective Jeong Tae-eul, of Korea. Their lives become intertwined together after the emperor manages to cross over to the other side of a mysterious portal opened by demons in his world.
Watch it here
Alchemy of Souls (2022)
If you’re a fan of dramas like Game of Thrones, this one could be your cup of tea. The drama filled with power plays and magic follows an elite sorcerer Nak-su, whose soul gets trapped inside the weak body of Mu-deok. She meets Jang-euk, who belongs to a noble family and is an aspiring sorcerer himself. When he recognises her true identity, he begs her to teach him her ways, slowly bringing the two together.
Watch it here
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)
A strange astronomical occurrence sends Ha-jin back 1000 years ago to the era of the Goryeo dynasty as a young girl named Hae-soo. She soon gets involved in the world of royalty with her budding feelings for the two princes and finds herself in the middle of the vicious power struggle for the throne.
Watch it here
Hotel Del Luna (2019)
Competent and kind-hearted hotel manager Gu Chan-sung returns to Korea only to get inexplicably intertwined in a mysterious new world. He finds out that he has to serve as the manager of the titular Hotel Del Luna, a hotel that exclusively caters to ghosts, all thanks to a promise made two decades ago. Aside from vengeful spirits and otherworldly protocols, he also has to contend with the hotel’s custodian Jang Man-wol, a powerful cursed woman who is bound to the hotel because she committed a grave sin in the past.
Watch it here
Lovely Runner (2024)
Based on the popular web novel Tomorrow’s Best, this drama revolves around a singer and his biggest fan. Im Sol has been a fan of idol Ryu Sun-jae since his songs gave her solace to cope with the accident that left her disabled. When the idol gets into a fatal accident, fate sends Im Sol back 15 years into the past and gives her a chance to rewrite both their destinies.
Watch it here
Romantic K-dramas with a slow burn
Real romance lovers know the value of a good slow burn. The longing, the yearning and then the beautiful payoff…
Something In The Rain (2018)
This underrated love story marked Son Ye-jin’s return to the small screen after a five-year hiatus. The story follows a woman who reconnects with her friend’s younger brother unexpectedly after many years. The two slowly fall in love with each other but have to face the decision to unveil their relationship to a society that still stigmatises older women dating younger men.
Watch it here
Coffee Prince (2007)
Tomboy Eun-chan is mistaken for a boy more often than not, and it even lands her a job at Han-kyul’s cafe that only hires men as staff. But things start to go awry when Han-kyul begins to develop feelings for her. The slow-burn romance was way ahead of its time in challenging gender conventions and identity as Han-kyul attempts to make peace with his attraction for Eun-chan, who he thinks is a man. There are emotional struggles, angst and, ultimately, a beautiful romance.
Watch it here
Because This Is My First Life (2017)
We’ve seen many contract marriages/roommate dramas, where the couple agrees to live together or marry for a mutually beneficial reason and eventually fall in love with each other. While this one follows the same beats, the story of Se-hee and Ji-ho stays with you for a long time. The drama also follows the lives of their friends who are dealing with their own issues with love and marriage.
Watch it here
Our Beloved Summer (2021)
In this second chance romance, Choi Ung and Kook Yeon-soo broke up and decided to never meet again. Little did they know that fate had another plan for them. A documentary they had filmed years ago unexpectedly goes viral and they have to reunite after a decade in front of the camera.
Watch it here