The 15 Best Korean Romance Movies Ever Made
They'll shatter your heart, then put it back together again.
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)
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.
'Always' (2011)
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.
'The Beauty Inside' (2015)
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.
'Decision to Leave' (2022)
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.
'The Handmaiden' (2016)
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.
'Il Mare: A Love Story' (2000)
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.
'Lost in Starlight' (2025)
This new Korean movie—Netflix's first original Korean animated film—follows a sweet love story that transcends time and space. In 2050 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.
'Love and Leashes' (2022)
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.
'Moonlit Winter' (2019)
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.
'New Year's Blues' (2021)
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).
'On Your Wedding Day' (2018)
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.
'Sweet & Sour' (2021)
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.
'Tune in for Love' (2019)
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.
'Untold Scandal' (2003)
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.
'Where Your Eyes Linger' (2020)
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.)