The 15 Best Korean Romance Movies Ever Made

They'll shatter your heart, then put it back together again.

still from one of the best Korean Romance Movies
(Image credit: Netflix)

If you've ever watched a Korean drama (a.k.a. a K-drama), be it a series or a Korean movie on Netflix, you know what it's like to experience a dozen different kinds of emotions in just a few hours. Things start slow, then the climax rips your soul apart, then the ending leaves you sobbing from satisfaction or deep in despair over a lack of sequel. No matter the genre, Korean entertainment simply keeps you glued to your screen.

Should you be in the mood for some Korean melodramas, specifically ones with love stories that make you bawl your eyes out, we put together a list of recommendations. If you love rom-coms, you'll find a familiar happiness when you watch one of the best Korean romance movies. Sure, the plotlines aren't always the most realistic, but the scenes are an emotional rollercoaster. Ahead, the best Korean romantic movies to stream now. (For anyone looking for a longer immersion, check out our list of the best romantic K-dramas ever.)

'20th Century Girl' (2022)

still from 20th century girl netflix korean movie of a girl lying on her desk while writing

(Image credit: Netflix)

In 1999, 17-year-old Bo-ra (Kim Yoo-jung) receives a request from her best friend Yeon-du (Roh Yoon-seo), who's about to travel to the U.S.: Bo-ra must find out everything she can about Yeon-doo's crush, the popular Hyun-jin (Park Jung-woo), while she's gone. As Bo-ra spies on and later ends up becoming friends with Hyun-jin, she also builds a connection with his thoughtful best friend, Woon-ho (Lovely Runner's Byeon Woo-seok). If you're a fan of nostalgic teen rom-coms, be sure to add this to your watchlist.

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'Always' (2011)

A still from the movie Always of a man holding a makeshift umbrella over a girl in the rain

(Image credit: Courtesy)

Cheol-min, a former boxer who's closed off to the world, is working as a parking lot attendant when a visually impaired woman, Jung-hwa, walks into his tollbooth to watch TV. Jung-hwa's bright spirit reaches through to Chul-min's heart, and they start a romance, but their happiness may be short-lived. This intense yet heart-warming film follows the couple as they fall in love while facing their respective challenges, and the main couple, played by So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-joo, has amazing chemistry.

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'The Beauty Inside' (2015)

A still from the movie The Beauty Inside of a girl in a scarf talking to a boy in a green blazer on a street

(Image credit: Courtesy)

Right after he turns 18, Woo-jin starts waking up every day as a different person. One day he's an old man, the next he's a woman, a child, even a different nationality. Only a few people are aware of Woo-jin's strange condition, and he's able to hide it from the world because he works behind the scenes as a furniture designer. Enter Yi-soo (Han Hyo-joo), who works at a furniture store. The two embark on a relationship filled with twists and turns, keeping viewers guessing until the end.

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'Decision to Leave' (2022)

A still from the movie Decision to Leave of a woman in focus staring at a man's profile while he is out of focus

(Image credit: Courtesy)

This romance from acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook centers on Hae-jun (Park Hae-il), a detective investigating the death of a mountain climber, and Seo-rae (Tang Wei), the victim's mysterious widow who becomes the prime suspect. The thriller is full of suspense and some of the most beautifully crafted shots put to film, but it's propelled by an all-consuming romance that changes both Hae-jun and Seo-rae forever.

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'The Handmaiden' (2016)

A still from the movie The Handmaiden of a woman massaging another woman's feet

(Image credit: Courtesy)

Part erotic romance, part psychological thriller, Park Chan-wook's sensual film tells the story of two women who fall in love in Japanese-occupied Korea. Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) is a wealthy heiress living on a remote estate who dreams of escaping the yoke of her abusive Uncle Kouzuki (Cho Jin-woong), who keeps her trapped at home performing readings of erotic novels. Enter Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), a young con-woman who arrives on the scene as a lady’s maid to steal Hideko's fortune.

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'Il Mare: A Love Story' (2000)

A still from the movie Il Mare: A Love Story of a woman in a trench coat sitting on a side of a hill

(Image credit: Courtesy)

Eun-ju (Jun Ji-hyun), an aspiring voice actor, has been living alone in a lake house named Il Mare after her husband went abroad and never returned. When she moves back to the city, she leaves a note for the new tenant, asking them to forward any mail to her. The new tenant, Sung-hyun (Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae), writes back, but his letter is dated two years in the past. If the story of a time-traveling epistolary romance sounds familiar, this 2000 Korean romance was remade as the 2006 film The Lake House, with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves.

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'Lost in Starlight' (2025)

A still from the Korean animated movie 'Lost in Starlight.' of a man reaching down and touching a girl's face on a rooftop

(Image credit: Netflix)

This new Korean movie—Netflix's first original Korean animated film—follows a sweet love story that transcends time and space. In 2025 Seoul, scientist Nan-young (Kim Tae-ri) dreams of traveling to Mars and searching for traces of her mom, an astronaut who never returned after a mission. Right before her space voyage, she meets Jay (Weak Hero Class 1's Hong Kyung), who repairs vintage audio equipment. As the pair fall in love, their romance pulls them both off their set life paths into the unknown.

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'Love and Leashes' (2022)

A still from the movie Love and Leashes of a man sitting on the ground and touching a woman sitting in a chair's feet

(Image credit: Courtesy)

This rom-com shows a sweet and sexy spin on a BDSM relationship. Office workers Ji-woo (Girls Generation's Seohyun) and Ji-hoo (Weak Hero Class 2's Lee Jun-young) are new colleagues getting to know each other. One day, Ji-woo accidentally gets Ji-hu's package: an adult dog collar. Though she's new to BDSM, no-nonsense Ji-woo is intrigued, and submissive Ji-hoo asks her to be his dominant in a short-term partnership. The question is whether their budding feelings for each other are complicated by the arrangement.

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'Moonlit Winter' (2019)

A still from the movie Moonlit Winter of two people in coats standing in the snow

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Sae-bom (Kim So-hye) lives with her recently divorced mom, Yoon-hee (Kim Hee-ae). One day, the teen discovers a secret love letter written to her mom from a Japanese woman. To help her mom overcome her post-divorce depression, Sae-bom convinces her mom to go on a trip to Japan with her, with the elder not knowing that her daughter is secretly playing matchmaker.

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'New Year's Blues' (2021)

A still from the movie New Year's Blues of a man and woman sitting on a bench in the sun

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This rom-com follows four very different couples as they face unique worries and obstacles in the lead-up to a new year. Ji-hoo (Kim Kang-woo), a divorced police detective, finds an unlikely partner in Hyo-young (Yoo In-na), a rehab trainer seeking protection during her own divorce. 20-somethings Jae-heon (Yoo Yeon-seok) and Jin-ah (Lee Yeon-hee) meet during a getaway to Argentina, and inspire each other to face the difficulties back home. Yong-chan (Lee Dong-hwi), who's set to marry his fiancée Yao Lin (Chen Duling), decides to keep his financial state secret after he's cheated out of all his money. Meanwhile, avid gardener Oh-wol (Choi Soo-young) faces naysayers on all sides as she tries to save her relationship with professional snowboarder Rae-hwan (Past Lives star Teo Yoo).

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'On Your Wedding Day' (2018)

A still from the Korean romance movie 'On Your Wedding Day' of a girl in a scarf sitting on a bench and a man proposing to her

(Image credit: Courtesy of Megabox)

What would you do if you received a surprise wedding invite from the person you've loved for most of your life? This film explores the complicated relationship between Woo-yeon (Kim Young-kwang) and Seung-hee (Park Bo-young) from their high school days to adulthood. The realistic ending in this movie will resonate with those who have ever fallen in love with a friend.

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'Sweet & Sour' (2021)

A still from the movie Sweet & Sour of a couple eating at a restaurant

(Image credit: Courtesy)

A rom-com that shows both the highs and lows of a relationship, this film follows Da-eun (Chae Soo-bin), a nurse, and Jang-hyuk (Jang Ki-yong), an engineer. The beginning of their relationship is sweet and loving until Jang-hyuk gets a new job with a long commute that strains their relationship. It also doesn't help that he begins to bond with a female co-worker (played by Krystal Jung) at his new job. The romance has been lauded for depicting realistic relationships, though its ending can be divisive.

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'Tune in for Love' (2019)

A still from the movie Tune in for Love of a couple leaning in to kiss

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This movie explores the relationship between Mi-soo (Kim Go-eun) and Hyun-woo (Jung Hae-in) over a decade. The pair meet as teenagers while working together at a bakery, but as adults, they go down different paths. They try to find their way back to each other, but one of them has a secret that will threaten the relationship. This love story is a tale of love, separation, and growth.

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'Untold Scandal' (2003)

A still from the movie Untold Scandal of a man touching a woman's face while wearing traditional korean white robes

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This sexy historical romance is set in 18th-century Korea, and is based on the French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses (the same source material as Cruel Intentions). Madam Jo (Lee Mi-sook) lives as a devoted wife in public, while privately resenting her place in society and carrying out secret affairs. Jo-won (Bae Yong-joon) is her devoted cousin—she was his first love—with whom she plays a high-stakes game of seduction. Madam Jo has a new challenge for him: seduce the innocent So-ok (Lee So-yeon), who's set to become her husband's concubine.

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'Where Your Eyes Linger' (2020)

Two boys in high school uniforms walk down a Korea alleyway, in 'Where Your Eyes Linger.'

(Image credit: Viki)

This BL (a.k.a. Boys Love) film is a heart-fluttering romance that helped kick off the LGBTQ+ subgenre in Korea. Han Tae-joo (The Wedding Banquet's Han Gi-chan), a wealthy high school student and known playboy, spends every minute of every day with Kang-gook (Jang Eui-soo), his best friend and live-in bodyguard of the same age. Kang-gook is hiding feelings for his friend, but when Tae-joo decides to play matchmaker for him and new student Hye-mi (Choi Kyu-ri), the secret crush comes out in the open. (If you fall in love with the story and want more, check out the extended web series.)

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Fashion Editor

Marina Liao is the former fashion news editor at Marie Claire, where she covered celebrity style (from Meghan Markle to Katie Holmes), fashion trends, and shopping advice, plus conducted original interviews with industry insiders. She's now the Senior Commerce Editor at House Beautiful, where she owns coverage on deals and sales across home decor and accessories, in-depth product reviews on furniture and appliances, as well as news around new product launches since 2023. With help from leading designers and tastemakers, Marina spotlights quality products while tracking current design trends, a skill she’s mastered over six years in fashion media. Marina holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Stony Brook University, beginning her career in narrative-driven commerce coverage as an editorial assistant at PopSugar.