Romance Kdramas

1. “Crash Landing On You” (2019-2020)

  • Synopsis: A South Korean heiress accidentally paraglides into North Korea and meets a North Korean military officer, leading to an unexpected romance across borders.
  • Themes: Romance, cross-border relationships, social commentary
  • Main Cast: Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin
  • Trivia: The drama was partly filmed in Switzerland, capturing its beautiful landscapes as the backdrop for some key scenes.

2. “Descendants of the Sun” (2016)

  • Synopsis: A love story between a soldier and a surgeon as they face challenges due to their high-risk professions.
  • Themes: Romance, military life, medical drama
  • Main Cast: Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo
  • Trivia: The lead actors Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo got married in real life, but later divorced.

3. “While You Were Sleeping” (2017)

  • Synopsis: Combining romance with fantasy elements, it follows a woman who can see unfortunate events in her dreams and a prosecutor who helps her prevent those occurrences.
  • Themes: Romance, fantasy, legal drama
  • Main Cast: Lee Jong-suk, Bae Suzy
  • Trivia: The drama is written by Park Hye-ryun, who also wrote other popular dramas like “Pinocchio” and “I Hear Your Voice.”

4. “Something in the Rain” (2018)

  • Synopsis: A poignant story about a woman who falls in love with her best friend’s younger brother.
  • Themes: Romance, age gap, societal norms
  • Main Cast: Son Ye-jin, Jung Hae-in
  • Trivia: The drama’s Korean title, “Pretty Sister Who Buys Me Food,” suggests the traditional role reversals portrayed in the show.

5. “My Love from the Star” (2013-2014)

  • Synopsis: A romance fantasy drama about an alien who has lived on Earth for 400 years and a famous actress.
  • Themes: Romance, fantasy, comedy
  • Main Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Jun Ji-hyun
  • Trivia: The drama led to a craze for “chimaek” (fried chicken and beer) in China, as the female lead is often seen enjoying it in the show.

6. “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” (2016)

  • Synopsis: A historical fantasy drama where a woman from the modern era gets transported back to the Goryeo Dynasty and becomes entangled in the lives of its princes.
  • Themes: Historical, romance, fantasy
  • Main Cast: Lee Joon-gi, IU
  • Trivia: The drama is based on a Chinese novel, making it a rare Korean adaptation of a Chinese source material.

7. “Her Private Life” (2019)

  • Synopsis: A romantic comedy about an art gallery curator who leads a double life as a fan-girl and her romance with a mysterious artist.
  • Themes: Romance, fandom culture, comedy
  • Main Cast: Park Min-young, Kim Jae-wook
  • Trivia: The drama is notable for its positive portrayal of fan culture, unlike many other shows that stereotype fans.

8. “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?” (2018)

  • Synopsis: A comedic romance that revolves around a narcissistic vice-chairman and his secretary, who decides to resign from her job after nine years.
  • Themes: Workplace romance, comedy, personal growth
  • Main Cast: Park Seo-joon, Park Min-young
  • Trivia: The drama is based on a popular webtoon of the same name.

10. “Touch Your Heart” (2019)

  • Synopsis: A romantic comedy about a top actress who goes undercover as a secretary at a law firm to prepare for a role and ends up falling in love with a lawyer.
  • Themes: Workplace romance, comedy, self-discovery
  • Main Cast: Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na
  • Trivia: The lead actors also appeared together as a romantic couple in the popular drama “Goblin.”