Korean dramas have become the next big thing and have the whole world hooked on them. Their popularity can be owed to beautifully written stories, the characters, the locations, and also for the lead couples. If romance is the genre you are looking for in a drama, then you have come to the right place.
20 Romantic Korean Dramas You Should Watch Next
1. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (2018)
- Starring- Park Seo Joon, Park Min Young, Lee Tae Hwan
- Episodes- 16
Lee Young Joon, played by Park Seo Joon, is the company’s vice-chairman, and Kim Mi-So, played by Park Min Young, is his secretary. She has been his secretary for a long time and has seen him grow professionally. But trouble comes when she decides to leave the job and focus on herself. A series of events occur, and they find out they have met in their childhoods and share a connection. The drama has many heart-fluttering moments, comedic scenes, characters and shows family love and bond.
The chemistry of the lead couple has fans asking them to date in real life as well!
2. Crash Landing On You (2019)
- Starring- Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin, Seo Ji Hye, Kim Jung Hyun
- Episodes- 16
This is a story of cross-country lovers, but the countries aren’t your usual countries. Yoon Se-Ri, played by Son Ye Jin, a self-established businesswoman, goes out to paraglide to test her new products on one fine day. An unexpected tornado takes place while she is paragliding, and she finds herself in North Korea. Does the name of the country ring a bell? Yes, it is the same infamous country.
There she meets army man Ri Jeong Hyeok, played by Hyun Bin. He helps her hide and safely return to her country, and the pair falls in love in the process. The drama has been beautifully made, and the chemistry between the couples was well perceived.
You will also find another cross-country couple in the drama, which you will not expect and will also break your heart.
3. Scarlet Heart Ryeo: Moon Lovers (2016)
- Starring- Lee Ji Eun, Lee Joon Gi, Kang Ha Neul, Kang Han Na, Baek Hyun, Nam Joo Hyuk, Kim Jisoo, Hong Jong Hyun, Seo Ju Hyun, Z. Hera
- Episodes- 20
If star-crossed lovers had a name, it would be Wang So and Hae Soo. Go Ha Jin played by Lee Ji Eun, is a girl in the 21st century who works in a cosmetic shop. On a Lunar eclipse day, she drowns in a river and wakes up in the year 941, in the body of Hae Soo, the cousin of the wife of Wang Wook, the 8th son of King Taejo of the Goryeo Dynasty in Korea. She then finds herself tangled among palace politics and finds love in the 4th prince Wang So.
Wang So was initially an outcast because of a past event, and Hae Soo helps him overcome his insecurity and become more acceptable. The pair does not get a happy ending because of the various dynamics and plotting in the palace. The drama is an emotional rollercoaster, and it’s ending still makes its viewers cry their hearts out. Fans have been asking for a second season of the show since then.
Romance in this drama isn’t limited to only the lead couple. The various other couples in it will make you smile and cry at the same time.
4. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2016)
- Starring- Park Bo Young, Park Hyung Shik
- Episodes- 16
Do Bong Soon, played by Park Bo Young, is a woman in her 20s who has been endowed with superhuman powers possessed by the females of her family by birth. She tries to hide her powers, and not to feel like an outcast. But when she sees crimes and injustices taking place close to home, she can no longer suppress herself.
On this journey, she meets Ahn Min Hyuk, played by Park Hyung Shik, a young and successful CEO who hires her to be his bodyguard. He falls head over heels for her, and Bong Soon, too, gives in to his love after initial hesitation. The drama abounds with romantic scenes and cutesy moments. The Minmin-Bongbong couple will surely win your heart that you can’t get enough of them.
5. Descendants Of The Sun (2016)
- Starring- Song Joong Ki, Song Hye Kyo, Jin Goo, Kim Ji Won
- Episodes- 16
When you watch the first scenes of this show, you would not expect this to be a romantic drama. Romance is mixed with action and suspense, and the two couples in this drama have become fan favorites. Yoo Shi Jin, played by Song Joong Ki, is a member of the special forces of the Korean Army, and Kang Mo Yeon, played by Song Hye Kyo, is a doctor at a hospital.
They meet in an unexpected situation, and the rest you can say is that it was love at first sight. Their romance is, however, met with certain roadblocks. There is another couple in the drama who have equally been received well by the audience. So, in this drama, you get double the romance, so that’s a bonus!
6. One Spring Night (2019)
- Starring- Jung Hae In, Han Ji Min
- Episodes- 16
This drama is like a warm hug on a cold, snowy day. A slice of life, it shows the struggles of single parenthood and the pressure a girl has to face for marriage. Lee Jeong In, played by Han Ji Min, is a librarian. She meets Yoo Ji Ho, played by Jung Hae In, who works in a pharmacy. Sparks fly, but the problem comes to the scene as we get to know that Jeong In, is in a long-term relationship with someone else and Ji Ho is a single father to a boy.
Jeong In’s relationship was already going through a rocky phase when she met Ji Ho. Adding to that was the pressure from her parents to get married as they were worried about her increasing age. The rest of the drama follows their journey together of how much they had to endure from the society just because Ji Ho was a single father.
The drama shows that it is not only single mothers who face a lot of criticisms but the same is also faced by single fathers as well. The drama is extremely realistic and does not sugarcoat any instances. This show is for those who want to watch realistic love stories.
7. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016)
- Starring- Lee Sung Kyung, Nam Joo Hyuk
- Episodes- 16
Another fairly realistic drama follows Kim Bok Joo, played by Lee Sung Kyung, a weightlifter, enrolled in a sports university. Being a weightlifter, she has never been seen in a girly light by the people around her and has always been tomboyish until she meets a man on the streets who treats her like a woman. She is instantly floored for him, only to find out later that he is the older brother of her childhood friend and present university mate Jung Joon Hyung, played by Nam Joo Hyuk.
Joon Hyung, who first falls for her, suppresses his feelings when he knows that Bok Joo likes his brother. But as the story progresses, we see how their dynamics change, and oh boy! You will surely root for this ‘swag’ couple.
8. Romance Is A Bonus Book (2019)
- Starring- Lee Jong Suk, Lee Na Young
- Episodes- 16
Single mothers have always had it tough through their personal and professional lives. Kang Dan I, played by Lee Na Young, is a single mother who was a successful advertising copywriter. She put her career on a halt after she delivered her daughter. Later she finds out that her husband has been cheating on her and has also taken away the house she built with her own money. Penniless and homeless, she is now left with nothing. Dan I actively searches for a job, only to be rejected because of the gap in her resume, despite being highly qualified.
One day she stumbles upon a recruitment ad for a temporary worker that has no special requirements. She decided to apply as a fresher, erasing her college degree for her resume. Her longtime friend Cha Eun Ho played by Lee Jong Suk, is a writer who works in a publishing company. The two then work their way personally and professionally in the company, and the drama beautifully shows the struggles and hardships that a single mother goes through.
9. Uncontrollably Fond (2016)
- Starring- Kim Woo Bin, Bae Suzy
- Episodes- 20
Be ready with tissues when you start to watch this drama because this one is a cry fest. Shin Joon Young, played by Kim Woo Bin, is an actor who is suffering from a life-threatening condition. He encounters Noh Eul, played by Suzy, when she approaches him to film a documentary on his life.
Joon Hyung and Noh Eul were college lovers who separated due to unfortunate circumstances. They now meet as adults, and Joon Young tries to win her heart again. The drama is a beautiful representation of love and teaches you how to let go when things are not in your control. The actor Kim Woo Bin has recently defeated cancer in real life, so watching this drama makes it hit close to home.
10. Goblin (2016)
- Starring- Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na, Yook Sung Jae
- Episodes- 16
Considered a classic among K-drama lovers, Goblin is a unique show with a plot that has you hooked till the end. Kim Shin, played by Gong Yoo, was a military general in the Goryeo Dynasty dating back to the 900s. Due to misunderstandings and palace politics, he was killed but received a curse to stay immortal. However, the only way the curse can be lifted is by Goblin’s bride, who has to pull out the sword from his body. After thousands of years, he finally meets his bride, Ji Eun Tak, played by Kim Go Eun, a high school student. She, too, had a tragic life owing to her fate as being the Goblin’s bride.
However, watching Goblin gives double the romance because of the 2nd lead couple. The 2nd couple of the dramas have received so much that they were cast as the leads in another drama, and that drama is the one next on the list.
11. Touch Your Heart (2019)
- Starring- Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na
- Episodes-
If you shipped the second leads in Goblin, then you’ll be pleased to watch this Rom-Com drama. The story revolves around an actress, Oh Jin Shim, played by Yoo In Na, who goes to work as a secretary with a successful lawyer Kwon Jung Rok played by Lee Dong Wook. She goes to gain some first-hand experience for her upcoming drama role for a very successful screenwriter/director.
Love blooms between the two, but Oh Jin Shim’s past scandal with the son of a chaebol family, creates havoc both in her professional and personal life to the point her own safety gets disturbed. The difficulties of dating a celebrity have also been highlighted in it. It’s an all-in-one drama and should definitely be on your watch list.
12. She Would Never Know (2021)
- Starring- Rowoon, Won Jin Ah, Lee Joo Bin, Lee Hyun Wook
- Episodes- 16
Chae Hyun Seung, played by Rowoon, is an intern at a cosmetic brand. He takes a liking in Yoon Song Ah, played by Won Jin Ah, his senior in the company. Culture in South Korea needs you to call anyone who joined or started working before you as ‘Sunbae,’ which means ‘senior.’ Hyung Seung has liked her from the time she came for recruitment in his college, and she is the reason why he chose to intern for that company. After joining the company, he finds out that his beloved Sunbae was already in a relationship, only to find out that the guy has been cheating on her.
The rest of the drama follows Song Ah’s journey of discovering the truth about her partner and how she finally recognizes Hyun Seung’s love. It is a beautiful, heart-warming drama and Rowoon very beautifully portrays the loveable junior who always supports and loves his sunbae.
The drama also has another couple that follows a different love theme. It shows great character development from being an obsessed lover to finally letting go and realizing that love can never happen by force.
13. Extraordinary You (2019)
- Starring- Kim Hye Yoon, Rowoon, Lee Jae Wook
- Episodes- 16
What would you do if one day you woke up and find out that you are a character of a comic book and are being controlled by the writer? You will be shocked and bewildered, right? This is exactly what happens with Eun Dan Oh. Dan Oh, played by Kim Hye Yoon, realizes that she is a character in the comic book Secret.’ She thinks she is the lead character because of the cliched plot that her character has but she is dying because of a terminal disease and is in love with a guy who does not love her back. Only to her surprise, she finds out she is a mere extra.
From here on, she takes it on herself to change her fate and meets Haru, played by Rowoon. An unexpected twist that takes place is the key highlight of the drama. The lead couple has aced their parts, and the drama is a cute high-school romance.
14. Start-Up (2020)
- Starring- Nam Joo Hyuk, Bae Suzy, Kim Seon Ho
- Episodes- 16
Business with romance sounds fun, right? This is what happens in Start-Up. Seo Dal Mi, played by Suzy, is a woman in her 20s who struggles in life after her parents divorced and her father died soon after. During her adolescent years, when she was going through these difficult times, her grandmother had a boy named Han Ji Pyeong, played by Kim Seon Ho, write her letters under the name of a different boy, Nam Do San, played by Nam Joo Hyuk.
Dal Mi grows up with high expectations due to the letters. Everything was fine until one day when she decides to search for the Do San. The drama has an interlinked romance with business, especially for startups, and shows the different stages of how a startup grows. The love triangle in the drama had its viewers divided between #teamHanJipyeong and #teamNamDosan for days, even after the drama ended.
15. Hymn Of Death (2018)
- Starring- Lee Jong Suk, Shin Hye Sun
- Episodes- 3
The romance in this drama is not your typical romance. The drama set in Japan-ruled Korea is based on a real-life tragic love story between Kim Woo Jin, played by Lee Jong Suk, a theater writer known to plan and perform plays against the Japanese and Yoon Shim Deok, played by Shin Hye Sun, who was a soprano from a humble background.
They met in Japan when Woo Jin’s theater team needed a singer for their play. Their love story starts on a sweet note, but the ending is so poetic that it will put you into deep thinking. This short drama is a hidden gem, and you can finish in a day. This should absolutely be on your must-watch list.
16. Love Alarm (2019)
- Starring- Kim Soo Hyun, Song Kang, Jung Ga Ram
- Episodes- 14
Letting someone know that you love them through an app sounds interesting, right? That is the premise of this drama. The drama is a love triangle between high school students Kim Jo Jo, played by Kim Soo Hyun, Hwang Sun Oh, played by Song Kang, and Lee Hye Young, played by Jung Ga Ram. Hye Young and Sun Oh have been friends from childhood, and both of them fall for Jo Jo.
Jo Jo, who struggles to make a living for herself, gets a confession from Sun Oh, who rings her Love Alarm. Not all was smooth after that, as the couple had to face several hurdles, and the 1st season ends on a cliffhanger. You can watch this if you like watching high-school romances.
17. The Beauty Inside (2018)
- Starring- Seo Hyun Jin, Lee Min Ki, Lee Da Hee, Ahn Jae Hyun
- Episodes- 16
Seo Hyun Jin plays the role of Han Se Gye, an actress who transforms into a different person once a month for a week. The transformation can range from any age to gender, and there is no prior expectation. Seo Do Jae, played by Lee Min Ki, is the director of the airline company T Road Air, whose brand ambassador is Se Gye.
Do Jae had developed face blindness in an accident and can only recognize people by her certain habits and behaviours. During one of her disappearances, the two meet, and they fall in love. The rest of the drama shows the different appearances of Se Gye and how the couple helps each other out in their two insecurities.
In my personal opinion, I liked the 2nd lead couple, and you too will definitely be rooting for them throughout the drama.
18. The Light In Your Eyes (2019)
- Starring- Han Ji Min, Nam Ju Hyuk, Kim Hye Ja
- Episodes- 12
What will you do if you get a magical watch which allows you to reverse time? You will surely want to correct all your mistakes and enjoy the fun moments again. But this comes at a high cost. Kim Hye Ja, played by Han Ji Min, is a 25-year-old girl who discovers a magic watch on a seashore that allowed her to reverse time, but every time she reverses time, she grows a bit older.
She is met with a very difficult situation and keeps reversing time to stop the misfortune from happening, and ends up in the body of her older self. The drama follows her journey of dealing with her surrounding people and the man she fell in love with.
This drama has a heart-wrenching climax and is sure to make you cry, so be ready with tissues.
19. When The Camellia Blooms (2019)
- Starring- Gong Hyo Jin, Kang Ha Neul, Son Dam Bi, Oh Jung Se, Yeom Hye Ran
- Episodes- 20
A single mother meets a cop; this is what the plotline of this drama would be in 1 line. But this drama offers more than this. Oh Dong Baek, played by Gong Hyo Jin, is a single mother with an eight-year-old boy, moves to the neighborhood of Ongsan and rents an area to open a bar.
However, she does not get a warm welcome in the locality and is looked down upon for being a single mother and opening a bar. But she maintains her stand and dignity. Hwang Yong Shik, played by Kang Ha Neul, is a cop by profession who falls in love at first sight with Dong Baek and pursues her. Many hurdles come across them, and the couple finally unites and grows old together—a must-watch recommendation from my side.
20. Something In The Rain (2018)
- Starring- Jung Hae In, Son Ye Jin
- Episodes- 16
Age differences have always been accepted in a relationship where the man is older than the woman. But society does not accept a relationship where the woman is older. And that is exactly what happens in this drama. Yoon Jin Ah, played by Son Ye Jin, is a woman in her 30s with troubled relationships and also has a tough time at work due to harassment and unfair treatment towards female employees. One day she meets Seo Joon Hee, played by Jung Hae In, and the two eventually fall in love.
The twist you may ask is that he is the younger brother of her best friend and the best friend of her own younger brother. Their relationship is frowned upon by her own parents owing to societal pressures. The drama realistically shows the struggles that the couple faces. It shows how society is still judgmental of people’s personal lives and relationships and how it affects the people involved.
So, which ones are you watching next?
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