Whether you’re flying solo this Valentine’s Day or looking to skip the festivities to spend some quality time with your loved ones, it’s time to wear your cosiest jammies, bring out your favourite snacks, and snuggle up on the couch for an epic binge-watching session.
From cult classics to the latest obsessions, K-dramas can either be a metaphorical romantic escape or a spectator sport filled with drama that reflects real life situations. Whether you’re a romantic or a skeptic, here are six K-drama couples who share chemistries that are off the charts.
Yoo-jin and Sang-hyuk from ‘Winter Sonata’ (2002)
One of the best of K-drama classics with its iconic soundtrack and veteran cast, Winter Sonata tells the story of two childhood friends, Yoo-jin (Choi Ji-woo) and Sang-hyuk (Bae Yong-joon), who reunite after being separated for years. Despite coming from different social backgrounds and the numerous obstacles that get thrown in their way, they fall in love.
But what’s a tearjerker without tragic twists and turns? After getting into an accident that causes Yoo-jin to lose her memories, the two find themselves entangled once more in each other’s lives.
A story of devotion, sacrifice and second chances, remember to have tissues by your side because hopeless romantics will not go unmoved watching this heart-wrenching tale.
Woo Young Woo and Lee Joon-ho from ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ (2022)
Woo Young Woo (Park Eun-Bin) is a savant lawyer with photographic memory. As she navigates her everyday life after graduating at the top of her class and joins a major law firm, she meets Lee Joon-ho (Kang Tae-oh), a fellow colleague.
Don’t expect a whirlwind romance though, as the series mainly follows Young Woo’s character development and the relationships she will build along the way. But who doesn’t love a slow burn?
Kam Mo Yeon and Yoo Si-jin from ‘Descendants of the Sun’ (2016)
Starring Korean superstars Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki, Descendants of the Sun continues to be a smash hit for the romantics. The premise begins with a seemingly star-crossed couple, cardiothoracic surgeon Kam Mo Yeon (Hye-kyo) and special forces captain Yoo Si-jin (Joong-ki), who fall in love while working together on a peacekeeping mission in a fictional war-torn country called Uruk. While navigating the dangerous and unpredictable environment of a conflict zone, the tension between the two grows as they work through their personal and professional challenges.
Kim Mi-so and Lee Young-joon from ‘What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim’ (2018)
Witty, independent, and sassy Kim Mi-so (played by Park Min-young) is a highly competent secretary to narcissistic debonair Lee Young-joon (played by Park Seo-joon), the vice president of his family’s company. After nine years of working for Young-joon, Mi-So decides it’s time to resign—but Lee is adamant that she stays as he realises that Kim is the only one who understands him. As sparks fly between the two, the ghosts of their past come in between them, causing them to question their own feelings for each other.
Lee Ik-jun and Chae Song-hwa from ‘Hospital Playlist’ (2020)
Starring Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-myung, and Jeon Mi-do, the refreshing romantic comedy revolves around five friends who work at Yulje Medical Center. As the five navigate their professional and personal relationships with one another, fans are particularly drawn to the blossoming love between Lee Ik-jun (Jung-suk) and Chae Song-hwa (Mi-do). The couple portrays a hilariously realistic take on the friends-to-lovers trope.
Yoon Se-ri and Ri-Jyeong Hok from ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019)
What happens when South Korean chaebol heiress, Yoon Se-ri (played by Son Ye-jin), crash-lands in North Korea after a paragliding adventure gone wrong? Well, she meets Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a handsome North Korean captain who helps hide her instead of turning her over to the authorities.
One of the highest-rated tvN drama and the fourth highest-rated South Korean TV drama in cable television history, Crash Landing on You is a romantic comedy that also explores the complex political and social tensions that exist between the two countries. As Se-ri navigates her way back to South Korea, she must also grapple with her growing feelings for Jeong-hyeok, and the obstacles that stand in the way of their relationship.
Source : Tatler