Summary

• K-drama romances range from sweet first love tales to deep stories of loss, offering timeless and captivating relationships.
• Some K-dramas focus on quiet, introspective love stories, allowing characters to develop affection and understanding at their own pace.
• Romances in K-dramas vary, with some emphasizing comedy over tragedy, but all deliver memorable love stories that stand out in the genre.

Romance is a staple feature of many best K-drama romances are hard to forget. These different relationships feel timeless in their approach to something as complicated as love, giving each series an enticing new hook that makes them stand out in a genre full of similarities.

While not every K-drama features a romantic subplot, many include at least some form of romance. These stories are portrayed with sincerity, sweeping audiences away with tales from the modern day to those rooted far in the past. However, K-dramas that give room for these love stories to grow hold a special place in the hearts of keen romance fans. Although not every K-drama romance keeps the same tone, with some valuing comedy rather than tragedy, all of them deliver love stories that help to make them some of the best K-dramas of all time.

15 Because This Is My First Life

A Quiet And Introspective Love Story

Because This Is My First Life views a popular K-drama trope from a different perspective, resulting in a quiet yet affectionate love story. The show follows Yoon Ji-ho (Jung So-min) and Nam Se-hee (Lee Min-ki) as they enter into a marriage of convenience, but soon discover their relationship developing into something more real.

Because This Is My First Life is a much slower and quieter K-drama than most, giving its introverted leading couple time to navigate their emotions at their own pace. This is the series' biggest strength and makes it incredibly endearing.

14 Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo

A Coming-Of-Age Story With A Lot of Heart

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo is a classic romantic comedy with a lot of heart. The college romance K-drama focuses primarily on weightlifting prodigy Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) and swimming athlete Jung Joon-hyung (Nam Joo-hyuk), who are both students at Haneul Sports University.

Bok-joo and Joon-hyung's love story is refreshingly sweet as the two former classmates navigate the highs and lows of sport alongside one another. Although Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo doesn't have the emotional depth as some of the other K-dramas on this list, it is a great lighthearted tale of first love that’s a joy to watch.

13 What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?

A Hilarious Office Romance With A Steamier Side

When it comes to office romances, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? is a standout hit. Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young’s portrayal of Lee Young-joon and Kim Mi-so’s relationship is hysterical, particularly as Young-joon tries to fathom why Mi-so wants to quit her job.

Many of Mi-so and Young-joon’s most intimate scenes are full of ion, something that countless other K-dramas have failed to replicate.

However, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? is at its best when it embraces its identity as a steamy K-drama. Many of Mi-so and Young-joon’s most intimate scenes are full of ion, something that countless other K-dramas have failed to replicate. As a result, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?’s main romance is very memorable.

12 Guardian: The Lonely And Great God (Goblin)

Fairytale-Like Romances To Laugh And Cry At

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, otherwise known as Goblin, is well-known for the varied and deep connections its characters have. However, romance is where the K-drama excels. The dark clouds looming over Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun) and Kim Shin’s (Gong Yoo) fated relationship give Goblin an eerily and intense depth while also allowing for great comedic moments to blossom.

Alongside this, the second lead couple’s entirely different dynamic adds another mystical element to the fantasy K-drama. As a result, Goblin remains an outstanding series, as its breathtaking approach to romance leaves an impression that will certainly last.

11 Descendants of the Sun

A Romance-Focused Military K-drama With High Stakes

Like many K-dramas on this list, Descendants of the Sun is well known for its romantic storylines. The series’ setting in an overseas military camp gives the main love story a fiery intensity that sees Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) and Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo)'s relationship go from 0 to 100.

Though the leading couple’s romance is thrilling, the second lead couple’s tale of forbidden love is just as enthralling. The combination of two love stories is not uncommon in K-dramas, but Descendants of the Sun executes both so well that revisiting this series is a must for romance fans.

10 It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

A Love Story That Focuses On Healing & Growth

Romance may not be the main focus of It’s Okay To Not Be Okay, but it plays a significant part in the healing process of its two leading characters, Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun) and Ko Moon-young (Seo Yea-ji). Throughout the K-drama, Gang-tae and Moon-young become increasingly drawn to one another as they each other in processing their past traumas.

Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Yea-ji’s on-screen chemistry is magnificent as they allow room for their character’s relationship to develop naturally. This makes the eventual ignition of their romance one of the best parts of It’s Okay To Not Be Okay.

9 Strong Girl Bong-soon

A Chaotic Romance That Reverses Gender Roles

Strong Girl Bong-soon's twist on gender roles adds more dimension to Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) and Ahn Min-hyuk's (Park Hyung-sik) relationship.

Park Bo-young and Park Hyung-sik's dynamic in Strong Girl Bong-soon is one-of-a-kind. The duo perfectly balance each other's chaotic energy and anchor the series through their character's unique relationship as boss and bodyguard. Strong Girl Bong-soon's twist on gender roles adds more dimension to Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) and Ahn Min-hyuk's (Park Hyung-sik) relationship that allows it to thrive in contrast to other office romance K-dramas.

Although comedy is the actors’ main strength, Park Bo-young and Park Hyung-sik infuse Bong-soon and Min-hyuk's quiet and tender moments with something magical that makes this comic-style romance intensely enjoyable from start to finish.

8 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

A Time-Travel K-drama With A Dramatic Romance

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo breathtakingly mixes comedy and tragedy to deliver a story about a woman who suddenly finds her traveling back to the heart of the Goryeo Dynasty after falling into a lake. Hae Soo's (IU) efforts to warm the heart of undesirable prince Wang So (Lee Joong-ki) are incredible to watch, particularly as the political contexts of the historical K-drama heighten tensions between the all-star cast. IU and Lee Joong-ki execute this heartbreaking love story to perfection, delivering a romance that has been hard to match since its release in 2016.

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is the Korean adaptation of the Chinese series, Scarlet Heart (2011), which is based on the book "Startling Each Step" by Tong Hua.

7 Twenty-Five Twenty-One

A Tale Of First Love Full of Highs and Lows

Based on the song “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” by the Korean band Jaurim, Twenty-Five Twenty-One depicts a coming-of-age romance between promising fencer Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) and journalist Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk). The nostalgic elements of the story’s 90s backdrop make it truly memorable as a tale of first love.

Hee-do and Yi-jin’s relationship develops over several years, giving it room to breathe as they grow as individuals and professionals. Although the K-drama’s ending may not be satisfying to all, the romance Twenty-Five Twenty-One delivers is a beautiful homage to the loves and what-ifs of the past.

6 Something in the Rain

An Age-Gap Romance That Is Effortlessly Romantic

Something in the Rain features an age-gap romance that is spectacular. The K-drama takes a slower approach to reach its goals, but this bold choice ultimately works in its favor. Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in are a powerhouse couple as they portray Something in the Rain’s main protagonists, who face social taboos head-on as their feelings for one another become stronger.

The K-drama’s tender romance differs from some of the more boisterous comedies that have become famed within the genre. However, this makes Something in the Rain’s romance even more distinctive and unforgettable.