10 K-Romances That Are Perfect From Start to Finish

In South Korean dramas, it can often be hard to find a perfect romance from start to finish when plenty of Korean dramas begin with drama or tension between the two leads, hence the word ‘drama’ in the genre. While there are a good number of K-romances that begin with drama—Boys Over Flowers, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo—it’s hard coming across some that would be considered perfect. After all, an unhappy ending with heavy tension does not equate to a perfect romance.

Likewise, a Korean drama where viewers are teetering back and forth between two male or female candidates is also not the perfect K-romance. The perfect K-romance is a beautiful love story from start to finish, where viewers are certain which two characters belong together. It may be rocky at the start and have bumps in the middle, but it is the romance that viewers root for and the couple in which they swoon for. From My Secret Romance to Crash Landing on You, here are the top perfect romances.

10 ‘Strong Woman Do Bong Soon’ (2017)

Directed by Baek Mi-kyung

Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) is a young woman who was born with incredible strength, a trait passed down in the women of her family. Because of her odd power, she is hired by Ainsoft CEO Ahn Min-hyuk (Park Hyung-sik) to be his bodyguard. While learning to control her strength, she hunts down the culprit responsible for kidnapping women in her neighborhood.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is a beautifully fun K-drama that explores a relationship between a CEO and a woman who is insecure due to her absurd strength. However, it is through her strengths and capabilities that Min-hyuk is able to love her. It is one of the best romantic K-dramas of 2017, with fans swooning over the sweet chemistry between Bo-young and Hyung-sik.

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9 ‘Fated to Love You’ (2014)

Directed by Lee Dong-yoon & Kim Hee-won

When assistant Kim Mi-young (Jang Na-ra) and CEO Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk) sleep together by accident, under the influence of alcohol, they find themselves bound to each other by marriage when Jang Na-ra turns up pregnant. Though not fond of one another, the two learn to love each other through their growing child, and when tragedy strikes the couple, they have to come to their own terms with one another.

Fated to Love You

is another classic love story that is perfect from start to finish.

Fated to Love You is another classic love story that is perfect from start to finish. Though the main couple ends up together by marriage due to an accident, their love for each other shines brighter than anything else, and their ability to come together despite their differences is admirable. Even when stricken with grief, they learn to love one another through and through, even if hardships present themselves to them.

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8 ‘My Secret Romance’ (2017)

Directed by Kang Cheol-woo

When meeting at the Gangwon-do resort, playboy Jin-wook (Sung Hoon) meets Yoo-mi (Song Ji-eun) when he is forced to work as a bellhop at his father’s hotel. They spend the night together, but the next day, Yoo-mi takes off, leaving Jin-wook dumbfounded. They meet again three years later, and though Jin-wook still has feelings for her, he is willing to be patient.

My Secret Romance is full of clichés, but for K-drama fans who love clichés, My Secret Romance is an enthralling watch. Both Sung Hoon and Ji-eun have perfect chemistry with one another, and their acting takes this love story to another level. Not to mention, this is the kind of K-drama that has the male lead falling headfirst into love, abandoning his former playboy attitude because of his feelings. A wonderfully fun and entertaining K-drama, My Secret Romance is perfect from start to finish.

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7 ‘Descendants of the Sun’ (2016)

Directed by Lee Eung-bok and Baek Sang-hoon

Yoo Si-Jin (Song Joong-ki) meets Doctor Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) when a thief is hospitalized. They hit it off immediately and try to date, but when they realize their differences make their relationship more difficult, they go their separate ways. Then, they meet again in a war-torn country.

One of the best K-dramas of the 21st century, Descendants of the Sun was a very popular Korean drama when initially released. It had K-drama fans globally rooting for Hye-kyo and Joong-ki’s on-screen chemistry, which has been a beloved pairing both on- and off-screen. With a high-stakes love story, viewers will find themselves in love with this swoon-worthy romance.

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6 ‘Goblin’ (2016-2017)

Directed by Lee Eung-bok, Et al.

Goblin Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) is cursed to live an immortal life until his wife removes the sword from his chest. As he lives his life with remorse and grief, he meets Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun), who he saved alongside her mother before she was born. Ever since, she has been able to see and communicate with the paranormal and otherworldly, including the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-wook). Then, Kim Shin realizes there is something special about Go-eun who he begins to fall for.

Goblin, otherwise known as Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, is another beautiful story of a fated love. It features two love stories: Kim Go-eun and Kim Shin, and then the Grim Reaper and Kim Sun (Yoo In-na). Both stories serve as star-crossed lover romances, where circumstance simply pulls the lovers apart at every chance it gets. While sad in theory, it’s beautiful because the two men who thought they didn’t deserve love received it when they least expected it, allowing them to break free from their chains of grief. It is one of the best K-dramas to date.

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5 ‘Weight Lifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo’ (2016-2017)

Directed by Oh Hyun-jong

Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) is a weightlifting athlete in college. Ambitious and full of dreams, Bok-joo wants to follow in her father’s footsteps. Along the way, she begins to fall for Jung Joon-hyung (Nam Joo-hyuk), who also begins to fall for her.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo is one of the most wholesome romances to watch in the K-drama world. Full of healthy relationships and aspiring dreamers, it’s hard not to feel good when watching this Korean drama. An emotionally moving drama, Sung-kyung and Joo-hyuk make for perfect chemistry.

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4 ‘Uncontrollably Fond’ (2016)

Directed by Park Hyun-suk & Cha Young-hoon

Film producer No-eul (Suzy Bae) is assigned a project: record a documentary about the famous singer Shin-young (Kim Woo-bin). However, while she is determined to film a documentary about him, there’s one problem: he was her high school boyfriend. The two reignite their love as they cross professional boundaries.

Though absolutely tragic and heartbreaking, Uncontrollably Fond examines a love once lost and found again. It’s filled with a romance so innocent and pure, so intimate and deep, that viewers will find themselves sobbing uncontrollably by the end of the drama. Even though it ends on a heartbreaking note, No-eul and Shin-young’s love is one that will be remembered fondly.

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3 ‘Business Proposal’ (2022)

Directed by Park Seon-ho

When Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong) goes on a blind date in place of her friend, she realizes that her friend’s suitor is her boss, CEO Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop). Meanwhile, unsatisfied with being forced to go on blind dates by his father, Tae-moo proposes to his blind date. The two then make a deal: Ha-ri will pretend to be Tae-moo’s fiancée.

Business Proposal is a Korean drama that is based on a graphic novel of the same name. It features a long-time favorite romance trope: two unlikely people fulfilling a contract or agreement for self-preservation, and they end up falling in love. A Business Proposal is a strong contender for the most perfect Korean romance, as it has beautiful visuals, is hilarious and lighthearted, and is extremely wholesome, uplifting the hearts of viewers.

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2 ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019-2020)

Directed by Lee Jung-hyo

When a South Korean heiress inherits her father’s business, she paraglides to let off steam. Only problem is, after getting knocked around, she finds herself in North Korean territory. From there, he promises to protect her, and they find themselves entangled in a forbidden love.

Both beautiful and tragic, this is a K-drama featuring the typical enemies-to-lovers story featuring a North Korean soldier and South Korean heiress. From the get-go, it starts off comedic, as she tries to escape him, but tensions grow as he tries to protect her from the North Korean government. There is simply something so satisfying about watching their love for each other grow and develop despite living in two completely different worlds.

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1 ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’ (2022)

Directed by Jung Ji-hyun

Fencing prodigy Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) transfers high schools to pursue her dreams. Baek Yi-jin’s (Nam Joo-hyuk) attempts to rebuild his life when his family is destroyed during the IMF crisis. Yi-jin and Hee-do then fall in love.

Another story about one’s first love, Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a beautiful story of discovering one’s first love. Though a bit slow-paced initially, the story begins to pick up, establishing an unforgettable romance that viewers will find themselves enthralled by. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once, Twenty-Five Twenty-One proves that some perfect romances need time to build up and that it’s totally worth watching in the end.

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KEEP READING: The 10 Best Movies To Watch if You Love K-Dramas, Ranked