Best Romance Korean Dramas of All Time
Korean romance is the heart of the K-drama boom: slow-burn office love, second chances, fated meetings and the kind of confession scenes people replay for years. This list brings together 25 of the best romance Korean dramas on DramaHog.
How we picked: we started from what viewers rate highest on fan-rating charts and what critics and audiences around the world keep praising, then our editors put the final 25 in order by overall impact, rewatch value and how well each story holds up. Every entry links to its own page with the full story, cast and details, and the list will keep changing as new dramas earn a place.
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1
Crash Landing on You
사랑의 불시착
Crash Landing on You follows Yoon Se Ri, a wealthy South Korean heiress who is accidentally swept into North Korea after a paragliding accident caused by strong winds.
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2
Reply 1988
응답하라 1988
In a small Seoul neighborhood in the late 1980s, five families live so close that their doors are never really shut.
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3
When Life Gives You Tangerines
폭싹 속았수다
This story looks back on the youthful days of our parents, when life was uncertain but hearts were full.
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4
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
쓸쓸하고 찬란하神
Kim Sin was once a legendary general in the Goryeo military who met a tragic death.
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5
Mr. Sunshine
미스터 션샤인
Born into slavery in Joseon, Choi Yu-jin escapes to America as a child and returns years later as an American soldier during the country’s troubled final years before colonial rule.
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6
It's Okay to Not Be Okay
사이코지만 괜찮아
Moon Gang Tae is a community health worker at a psychiatric hospital, gifted with intelligence, physical strength, patience, empathy, and quick judgment.
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7
Twenty-Five Twenty-One
스물다섯 스물하나
In 1998, in the shadow of a national financial crisis, high school fencer Na Hee-do dreams of becoming a champion.
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8
Descendants of the Sun
태양의 후예
The story follows a romance that develops between a surgeon and a special forces officer. Kang Mo Yeon is a confident and principled cardiothoracic surgeon at Haesung Hospital.
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9
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
이상한 변호사 우영우
Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, 27-year-old Woo Young Woo graduates top of her class at Seoul National University for both college and law school.
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10
Alchemy of Souls
환혼
Set in the fictional country of Daeho, the story follows young mages whose lives are twisted by a forbidden spell called the alchemy of souls, which allows souls to switch bodies.
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11
Twinkling Watermelon
반짝이는 워터멜론
Twinkling Watermelon tells the story of Eun Gyul, a CODA who is born to deaf parents but has a natural gift for music.
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12
Queen of Tears
눈물의 여왕
Baek Hyun Woo, the pride of Yongduri, is the legal director of Queens Group, while chaebol heiress Hong Hae In reigns over its department stores.
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13
Flower of Evil
악의 꽃
Baek Hui Seong appears to live a perfect life, with a successful career, a loving marriage, and a deep bond with his young daughter.
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14
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
갯마을 차차차
After clashing with her boss, dentist Yoon Hye Jin leaves the city and heads to a quiet seaside village she used to visit as a child.
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15
Lovely Runner
선재 업고 튀어
Ryu Seon Jae is a top celebrity, dazzling fans and dominating the spotlight since his debut.
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16
Surely Tomorrow
경도를 기다리며
Lee Gyeong Do and Seo Ji U have crossed paths at the most important moments of their lives.
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17
The Remarried Empress
재혼 황후
Navier is the respected Empress of the Eastern Empire, admired for her intelligence and grace.
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18
Dynamite Kiss
키스는 괜히 해서!
Kong Ji Hyeok is the sharp, calm, and highly respected leader of the Mother TF Team at a baby products company.
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19
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
달의 연인 - 보보경심 려
During a total solar eclipse, Go Ha Jin is suddenly transported back in time to the early days of the Goryeo Dynasty during the reign of King Taejo.
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20
Moon River
이강에는 달이 흐른다
This story follows an unexpected soul swap between a prince who has forgotten how to smile and a spirited merchant who has lost her memories. Crown Prince Yi Gang has lived in sorrow…
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21
Our Movie
우리 영화
Lee Je Ha grew up in the shadow of a legendary filmmaker, his father a master whose name carried weight in the industry.
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22
When the Phone Rings
지금 거신 전화는
Baek Sa Eon, Korea’s youngest presidential spokesman, hails from a prestigious political family and boasts a career spanning war correspondence, hostage negotiation, and news anchoring.
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23
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim
The series centers on Lee Young Joon, a narcissistic vice chairman of a company run by his family. He is confident to the point of arrogance and rarely pays attention to those around him.
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24
Are You Human Too?
너도 인간이니?
The drama follows Nam Sin III, an android created to look exactly like a human heir, who is forced to take the place of his real counterpart after a tragic accident. Nam Sin, the only…
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25
Can This Love Be Translated?
이 사랑 통역 되나요?
Ju Ho Jin is a multilingual interpreter with exceptional skills in English, Japanese, and Italian.
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Questions about this list
What is the best romance Korean drama?
Opinions differ, but our editors put Crash Landing on You at the top of the list, followed by Reply 1988 and When Life Gives You Tangerines. You can open any entry to read the story, see the cast and check when and where it aired.
Where can I watch these K-dramas?
Streaming rights change from country to country and over time, so each drama page shows the network it originally aired on. Many of these series are available on services such as Netflix, Viki, Disney+, iQIYI or Prime Video depending on where you live.
How is this list ranked?
It is an editors’ list, not a vote. We started from fan-rating charts and long-running critical praise, then ranked the final 25 by overall impact, rewatch value and how well each story holds up. As DramaHog members rate dramas, community ratings will play a bigger part.
Episode, cast and poster data from TVmaze. Descriptions are written by DramaHog.