Love is in the air as we delve into the enchanting world of the best romantic Korean dramas made!
Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or simply seeking heartwarming stories that will make you believe in love, these 15 kdramas have it all. From sweet and innocent first loves to epic tales of star-crossed lovers, Korean dramas have mastered the art of capturing the essence of romance onscreen.
Let us discuss our favorite romantic Korean dramas, ever!
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
This sports rom-com drama stars Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk as two college athletes who fall in love. It’s a funny, heartwarming, and inspiring story about following your dreams and finding love along the way.
Its considered a fan-favorite and many of its moments are still talked about to this day. The chemistry between the two leading actors had fans hoping they’d date in real life, which they actually ended up doing.
The sweet drama is definitely worth a watch if you love kdramas and the subject of sports.
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim
This hilarious rom-com stars Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young as a narcissistic CEO and his efficient secretary, respectively. Its based on a web novel of the same title. The series begins with the secretary announcing her plans to quit working for him after nine years, he is unwilling to let her go and tries to find the reason behind her decision, in that process, he realizes he fell for her.
The drama became popular due to a variety of reasons including the pairing of Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young, which is still considered one of the best pairings in kdrama land. The heartwarming story and comedic scenes made the drama a joy to watch.
Crash Landing on You
Considered one of the biggest Korean dramas ever. This romantic comedy-drama stars Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin as a South Korean heiress and a North Korean soldier who fall in love after she crash-lands in North Korea.
“Crash Landing on You” is a funny, romantic, and suspenseful story about finding love in the most unexpected places of two people who couldn’t have been more different.
It’s a captivating tale of the forbidden love between a South Korean heiress and a North Korean military officer. The couple’s on-screen chemistry had fans hoping for more which turned out to have been the case when it was revealed the couple was dating. They later got married and had a child together.
Coffee Prince
One of the biggest Korean dramas of the 2000s has to be “Coffee Prince.” This gender-bender rom-com stars Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun Hye as two people who fall in love while working at a coffee shop.
The unique and refreshing story gained widespread success as presented with a gender-bender concept. In addition, the strong, reliable and relatable supporting characters made this drama a treat to watch. And lastly, the key to every rom-com success, the chemistry between Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun Hye was so good its still talked about to this day.
The drama played a significant role in popularizing the Korean wave and spreading Hallyu globally. Its success paved the way for more Korean dramas to gain international recognition, contributing to the growing popularity of Korean entertainment worldwide.
My Love From The Star
“My Love From The Star” follows the love story between an alien who landed on Earth 400 years ago and a top actress. It became a massive hit both domestically and internationally.
The unique and engaging storyline mixed with the strong chemistry between Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun made this one of the biggest Kdramas ever made.
The memorable character of Jun Ji Hyun particularly is still loved, talked about and even parodied to this day.
Secret Garden
Another gender-bender drama on this list, this was hailed as one of the biggest kdramas of the 2010s which helped further popularize the Hallyu wave and propelled the careers of both Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won to unprecedented heights.
“Secret Garden” is a fantasy rom-com that tells the story of a stuntwoman and a wealthy CEO who switch bodies after an accidental encounter. It garnered a large fanbase for its unique storyline and strong chemistry between the leads.
This alongside the high production value and the popular OST made this drama one of the most memorable kdramas ever made.
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
No discussion about the best Korean romance dramas could ever be complete without a mention to the strongest woman we know in kdrama land, Do Bong Soon.
The hit JTBC drama “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon” stars Park Bo Young, Park Hyung Sik and Ji Soo and tells the story of a petite woman with superhuman strength as she becomes the bodyguard of a CEO who ends up falling hard for her.
The combination of the strong female lead, figuratively and literally, along with the chemistry between the two leads made this drama one of the biggest success stories of 2017. It also spawned a 2nd season set in the same universe which aired earlier this year.
While the drama definitely tackled heavy topics, it balanced it well with comedy that never took it too far making it a classic favorite kdrama among the masses.
Her private life
“Her Private Life,” which was famous actor Kim Jae Wook’s first romance drama, is often discussed for being one of the most engaging unique romance kdramas, recently. As it focuses on the story of Sung Deok-Mi (played by Park Min Young) who is a curator by day and a huge fan by night to the kpop idol Si An.
The new director of her art gallery Ryan (portrayed by Kim Jae Wook) stumbled upon her secret and it piques his curiosity as he becomes intrigued by what she’s doing and why.
The drama delves into the life of Kpop fans and offers a sweet blend of romance and comedy and of course, it helped that the chemistry between the leads Kim Jae Wook and Park Min Young was so good that fans still talk about it to this day.
True beauty
Considered one of the gate-way dramas into the Kdrama world, “True beauty” is often considered one of the most talked-about and loved romance Korean dramas internationally.
The drama has a unique concept focusing on a high school girl who attempts to transform her appearance using makeup skills as she struggles with low self-esteem and is torn between upholding the impossible Korean standards versus being a normal teenager.
The chemistry between Moon Ga Young, Cha Eun Woo and even Hwang In Yeop made this drama a treat to fans. The sweet frenemies-like relationship between Cha Eun Woo and Hwang In Yeop was also praised by fans.
True Beauty, which was based on a popular webtoon of the same name, already had a dedicated fanbase and the adaptation had drew a lot of excitement and anticipation even before its premiere. When it aired, it became a fan favorite.
Fight For My Way
The immensely popular rom-com revolves around the lives of four friends, Ko Dong-man [Park Seo Joon], Choi Ae-ra [Kim Ji Won], Kim Joo-man, and Baek Seol-hee, who are in their late 20s and struggling to pursue their dreams.
Joo-man and Seol-hee have been dating for six years but face challenges in their relationship due to various reasons while friends Ae-ra and Dong-man begin to realize they’ve fallen in love.
“Fight for My Way” is considered one of the most successful Korean rom-coms for many reasons. Firstly, it showcased relatable and realistic characters and had a perfect blend of humor, romance, and emotional depth. The struggles and dreams of the four friends resonated with the audience, allowing them to connect with the story on a personal level. The chemistry between the lead actors, Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won, further added to the success of the drama.
Secondly, the drama touched upon various societal issues, such as gender stereotypes, workplace discrimination, and societal pressures. It highlighted the challenges faced by young individuals who are often stuck in unsatisfying jobs and how they navigate through these obstacles to pursue their passions.
When the Camellia Blooms
One of the most successful kdramas of 2019 having surpassed the coveted 20% mark.
“When The Camellia Blooms” is led by Kang Ha Neul, Gong Hyo Jin, Kim Ji Suk and many other talented actors.
The drama gained attention for being Kang Ha Neul first drama since his military discharge, he was joined by the rom-com queen herself Gong Hyo Jin.
The drama became a huge hit both domestically and internationally. Its often discussed as one of the cutest most heartwarming kdramas released in recent memory.
Our Beloved Summer
Choi Woo Shik And Kim Da Mi lead “Our Beloved Summer” which is considered one of the most memorable romance kdramas made in recent memory.
“Our Beloved Summer” tells the story of two high school students who filmed a documentary during their senior year, 10 years later, the documentary goes viral and the both of them meet again to film another documentary despite not wanting to be there. The two end up reconnecting and falling in love again.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” is a romance drama starring Shin Min Ah as Yoon Hye Jin, a dentist who moves from Seoul to the seaside village of Gongjin, and Kim Seon Ho as Hong Doo Shik, an odd-job expert who helps everyone around town.
The drama was a massive success breaking ratings record, the chemistry between Shin Min Ah and Kim Seon Ho helped the drama a lot too. The heartwarming stories, the scenery and the sweet romance between the leads made this drama a go-to to all romance lovers.
Forecasting Love and Weather
Another Park Min young drama on this list, “Forecasting Love And Weather” tells the story of work and romance of people who work at the weather forecast service. Park Min Young plays Jin Ha Kyung, an intelligent character with a cold and sensitive personality. Song Kang is played Lee Si Woo, a guy who appears clumsy but has an IQ of 150 and is serious about his job.
Led by Park Min Young, Song Kang, Yura, and Yoon Park, it beecame one of JTBC’s top 10 most watched dramas ever. The surprising twists and developments in the first episodes took fans by surprise and helped cement this drama as one of the best rom-coms fans had seen.
My Roommate Is a Gumiho
The fantasy rom-com drama led by Jang Ki Yong, Hyeri and Kang Ha Na and is based on a webcomic of the same title and tells the story of a 999-year-old nine-tailed fox who wished to become human, he collects human beads, due to a series of events, his beads fall into a university student, this jeopardizes his chances of becoming human. He suggests they should live together until they figure out how to deal with it.
The chemistry between Jang Ki Yong and Hyeri, as well as the romance, elevated this to one of the fans’ favorites.
These are just a few of the best romantic Korean dramas we love. Did any of your favorites make the list? Share your thoughts with us and tell us if there are any other dramas that you think deserve a mention!
Wow..one of my fav actress, Park Min Young was featured 3 of the most popular romantic K dramas. Kudos to her!