The best romantic K-dramas

K-dramas are well known for their romantic storylines where a simple first kiss is the best part – here are some of the greatest shows the genre has to offer.

K-dramas have enthralled audiences for years because of the unique way they build up the relationships between their main characters. As a result, the romance genre is a particular favorite for K-drama fans, where simple, sweet acts like hand-holding are teased over time and, as a result, mean so much more than even the raunchiest of sex scenes.

Many romantic K-dramas put American romance series to shame and are capable of getting even the most unromantic of TV fans to fantasize about true love, employee-boss romances, and fated relationships. Not to mention, K-dramas are notorious for their kiss scenes, which are fiery, heartfelt, and jaw-dropping. So, what are the best romantic K-dramas? Well, we’re glad you asked.

True Beauty

A high school teen gets the chance to use makeup to change her image at a new school, but it proves difficult when she becomes a “goddess” and is trapped in a love triangle.

True Beauty is one of the most well-known teen romance K-dramas around. It’s based on a popular webtoon and is often compared with other well-known Cinderella stories. The show follows Lim Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young), a young girl who’s perceived as an ugly duckling and bullied for her looks. She gets a chance to create a new persona, though, when she’s told her family has to move back to their old neighborhood.

Using the miraculous powers of YouTube and makeup, she transforms herself into the “goddess” of her new school, where she is envied for her beauty. Ju-kyung finally gets what she’s always wanted: friends and acceptance. But she soon butts heads with the school’s handsome but cold top student, Lee Su-ho (Cha Eun-woo).

She also gets entangled in his rivalry with school bad boy Han Seo-jun (Hwang In-youp). True Beauty is a well-loved romantic comedy and coming-of-age story all about teen love and accepting oneself.

Crash Landing On You

A chaebol heir and businesswoman finds herself trapped in North Korea, where she meets an army captain, sparking a complex and fated romance tied with intercountry politics.

Crash Landing On You is considered one of the GOATs of the romantic K-drama world – it helps, of course, that the two leads fell in love while making the show and are now married in real life. The show focuses on Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin), a successful entrepreneur and chaebol heir.

One day, Se-ri goes paragliding when a tornado blows her off course, and she finds herself in the worst situation imaginable: stuck in a military zone in North Korea. There, she meets Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a North Korean army captain. Feeling sorry for the lost woman, Jeong-hyeok decides to help her get back home while trying to avoid getting into trouble with his commanding officers.

As the two come up with a plan, they develop a romantic bond. Unfortunately, there’s a problem; he’s engaged. Complicating matters further is the fact Se-ri’s family has also marked her as dead, much to her siblings’ delight. Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok develop a fated romance complicated by the two very different worlds they come from.

It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

A cold children’s book author meets a psychiatric nurse and pursues him romantically. As they learn their pasts are intertwined, they begin to heal each other’s trauma and fall in love.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is a romantic comedy that shines a light on mental health and deals with some particularly dark themes. The K-drama was praised by critics and nominated at the 49th International Emmys.

Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun) takes care of and is the guardian of her autistic older brother. Haunted by the trauma of their mother’s murder, the two try to move on with life. However, due to his brother’s condition, Gang-tae often switches jobs and finds himself working at OK Psychiatric Hospital.

While working there, he meets Ko Moon-young (Seo YEa-ji), a children’s book writer who doesn’t do well with the public and is rumored to have an antisocial personality disorder. She begins to pursue Gang-tae as a love interest despite his disinterest. Over time, they develop a bond as they realize their dark pasts are intertwined.

Descendant of the Sun

A South Korean captain begins dating an ER doctor, but their relationship becomes strained due to their differences. Unsurprisingly, the pair part ways, but when they unexpectedly meet again while on a mission in Uruk, their old feelings resurface.

Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) is a captain in the South Korean Army’s special forces and is on a break with his partner when they witness a motorcycle theft. When the thief gets injured, they take him to the hospital, where Si-jin meets Dr. Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo).

He instantly becomes smitten with her, and they begin to date. However, their professions cause issues as Si-jin’s work is classified, and he’s constantly going on missions. Eventually, they realize their different morals are too much, and the couple part ways.

But when both Mo-yeon and Si-jin are stationed in the war-torn country of Uruk, they’re forced to confront their past. Descendants of the Sun was praised for its storyline, lead couple, and tear-jerking finale.

King the Land

A cheerful woman who has always dreamed of working as a hotelier for King Hotel meets its cold chaebol heir who refuses to smile due to his past.

King the Land was one of Netflix’s most-talked-about romances in 2023. It was a hit among fans but did receive some criticism for its cliched storyline. Still, the K-drama did a great job of casting two lead actors who had sizzling chemistry on and off-screen.

Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah) grew up wanting nothing more in life than to work at King Hotel. She succeeds and becomes a hotelier known as the “smile queen.” Being the best at her job, she’s soon introduced to the hotel’s owner and the chaebol heir, Gu Won (Lee Jun-ho).

Abandoned by his mother at a young age, Gu Won has a troubled past but now lives a life of luxury, yet he refuses to smile or experience true joy. When Gu Won’s sister challenges him for ownership of the hotel, he’s forced to team up with Sa-rang to understand the hotel better, and slowly, she changes his cold heart.

Business Proposal

A food developer is in a pickle when she fulfills a favor for her rich friend and finds herself on a date with her boss while trying to keep up a lie.

Business Proposal was a hit romantic comedy K-drama from Netflix based on a webtoon. The K-drama was praised for its boss-employee relationship, which gave the show an interesting dynamic. Our main character is Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong), who goes on one last date on behalf of her chaebol heir friend, Jin Young-seo (Seol In-ah), in the hopes of warding off any would-be suitors.

Unfortunately, she didn’t expect the date to be with Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop), the CEO of her company. Trapped in an awkward situation, Ha-ri is forced to use all the tricks at her disposal to shoo him away, but he’s determined to marry her to appease his grandfather.

The K-drama develops into a classic boss-employee romance as Tae-moo realizes the truth but also begins to fall in love with her. Fans also loved the K-drama’s secondary story of Ha-ri’s best friend falling in love with Tae-moo’s assistant.

Our Beloved Summer

An ex-couple from high school vowed never to see each other again after a bad breakup, but meeting again years later stirs up old grudges and feelings.

Before becoming a killer in Netflix’s A Killer Paradox, Choi Woo-shik enthralled fans in the coming-of-age romantic comedy K-drama Our Beloved Summer.

Choi Ung (Choi) and Kook Yeon-soo (Kim Da-mi) were the epitome of a lazy student and an overachiever while in high school. However, when they were forced to star in a school documentary series, they started to develop feelings for each other. The couple stayed together after school until a bad breakup saw them go their separate ways.

They vowed never to see each other again, but 10 years later, the promise is broken. The old documentary has gone viral on social media and pushed Yeon-soo’s boss to have her remake it. She now works as a PR expert and meets back up with Ung, who is a famous illustrator. As the pair catch up, their feelings from the past resurface, and they’re forced to deal with the reality of love, family, and conflict.