50 Classic Korean Romantic Films
In any subgenre, their portrayals of love—its many layers—are daubed with throbbing life thanks to superior filmmaking and explosive performances
Park Bo-young as Hwan Seung-hee (left) and Kim Young-kwang as Hwang Woo-yeon (right) in 'On Your Wedding Day.' Photo courtesy of HanCinema
You’ll find an ample amount of insightful material in Korean romance films. They could pertain to anything, but in essence, they will trigger contemplation. In any subgenre, the portrayals of love and its many layers are daubed with throbbing life thanks to superior filmmaking and explosive performances. How they make you relate to them is one of their strongest points.
In my persistent love for Korean cinema, I have watched a ton, mostly romances, and often after seeing one, I reflect that all they want to impart [above all else] is that real love awakens the inner you and lets you rise whatsoever. Sample the list below—a collection of my top 50 Korean romantic films—and you may just as well feel something similar.
Christmas in August (1998) – Hur Jin-ho
For Jung-won (Han Suk-kyu), the terminally ill proprietor of a Seoul photography business, time is running out. His mundane existence becomes more interesting when Da-rim (Shim Eun-ha), a young valet attendant, begins to frequent his studio. They gradually grow in love, but Jung-won is forced to say goodbye as his health deteriorates. This movie excels despite the lack of a compelling romance because the lead characters don’t openly declare their love for each other, yet there are strong emotional undercurrents every step of the way, and the feelings endure long after Jung-won leaves.
An Affair (1998) – Lee Je-yong
Seo-hyun (Lee Mi-sook), a regular mom and wife, is abruptly overwhelmed with passion when U-in (Lee Jung-jae), her younger sister’s dashing fiancé, enters the picture. While financially secure, Seo-hyun suffers from longing as an outcome of her routine domestic duties. When U-in pursues Seo-hyun, an explosive connection begins to grow, and given that it could destroy her life, she fails to thwart the conflicting impulses that have arisen.
The Harmonium in My Memory (1999) – Lee Young-jae
A newly arrived teacher from Seoul named Kang Soo-ha (Lee Byung-hun) lands his first job in a school in the province of Gangwon, setting the stage for a refreshing romance chock-full of stellar acting. There, Yun Hong-yeon (Jeon Do-yeon), one of his students, develops feelings for him despite her seeming inability to pique his interest. At this point, Yang Eun-hee (Lee Mi-yeon), a colleague of Soo-ha, has captured his heart.
Il Mare (2000) – Lee Hyun-seung
Lee Jung-jae and Jun Ji-hyun star in this time-slip romance around an idyllic beachfront home called Il Mare (Italian for “the sea”). The leads are there, two years apart in time, still in touch thanks to a miraculous mailbox. The finale connects us to the starting point of the narrative when Eun Joo (Jun) gets ready to mail her Christmas card. Someone comes with a note she wrote asking Sung Hyun (Lee) not to show up for a meeting. It turns out that he did get her message and stayed put. The lovers’ long-awaited reunion occurs in the epilogue.
Chunhyang (2000) – Im Kwon-taek
Pansori, a traditional Korean storytelling method, presents this raved-about and applauded period piece based on Chunhyangga, an old Korean folktale. A governor’s son in the film marries the stunning daughter of a concubine in secrecy. The governor is kept in the dark about their union since he would cast off his son if the truth came to light. The saga flows like a classic of love, severance, and villainy, but with a happy ending.
Ditto (2000) – Kim Jeong-kwon
A science fiction romantic drama starring Kim Ha-neul as Yoon Seo-yun, a college student from 1979, and Yoo Ji-tae as Ji In, another student from 2000. Inexplicably, through their ham radio sets, they get connected beyond the years and begin to share stories.
My Sassy Girl (2001) – Kwak Jae-young
The role she played as “the girl” in My Sassy Girl not only propelled Jun Ji-hyun to superstardom but also gave us a film that redefined the rom-com subgenre in Korean cinema. Its focal point is the encounter between Gyeon-woo (Cha Tae-hyun) and the girl at a train station. She is once spotted by Gyeon-woo in a stupor while perilously perched on the brink of the platform, and he pulls her to safety. Later and throughout the movie, the girl continues to make fun of him, getting him into trouble several times. The guy remains enthralled by her nonetheless.
Failan (2001) – Song Hae-sung
A wrenching romance melodrama exists behind Failan, which looks like a gangster movie. An orphaned Failan (Cecilia Cheung) visits Korea in search of her relatives. She is stranded and short on cash when she figures they have moved to Canada. Failan is forced by desperation into an arranged marriage with Kang Jae (Choi Min-sik), a rowdy who is likewise in need of money. She spends days pining to see him, yet they never meet. Failan writes him a letter but hesitates to mail it out of anxiety. In contrast, Kang Jae has forgotten her. She struggles in silence and isolation and passes away. When Kang Jae returns, he reads the letter from Failan, realizing what he meant to her and that it’s too late to act.
One Fine Spring Day (2001) – Hur Jin-ho
An audio engineer (Yoo Ji-tae as Sang Woo) and a radio host (Lee Young-ae as Eun Soo) fall in love after collaborating on an initiative to document natural sounds. The movie traces a relationship from its inception in the spring through its end in stages. Sang Woo’s deepening love frequently brings Eun Soo’s difficult past to mind. She is aware of how passion can fade away like a sound and how romance can wane into futility over time.
Last Present (2001) – Oh Ki-hwan
Life is rife with surprises and may change one’s course—that’s pertinent to the journey of Kang Tae-joo (Shin Hyun-joon). He is serving a murder sentence—momentarily released—to save Jo Se-hee (Jo Soo-min), a critically ill girl in dire need of a liver transplant. Se-hee, the child of Tae-joo’s cop friend, is revealed to be Tae-joo’s biological daughter, for her late mother was his ex-wife. Reality strikes Tae-hoo hard, and he starts making every effort to save Se-hee.
Oasis (2002) – Lee Chang-dong
Hong Jong-du (Sol Kyung-gu) is newly freed after serving time for a hit-and-run killing. The casualty’s daughter, Han Gong-ju (Moon So-ri), is neglectfully set in a run-down home, where Hong (who is currently homeless and in need but is still attempting to make amends) pays a visit. Han attracts Hong given her innate responsiveness, and the two initiate a unique interaction. Oasis offers a cutting-edge view of love amid suffering—a tragic tale of indifference, suffering, and alienation—but also staggering sentiments.
Lover’s Concerto (2002) – Lee Han
A young guy (Cha Tae-hyun) reflects on the intricate bond he once had with two girls (played by Lee Eun-ju and Son Ye-jin) while working in a cafe. To some, the plot may seem a little muddled because of its frequent use of erratic time leaps and backstories. However, in the latter stages, it’s a riveting drama due to the skillfully carved-out edifice of awe encircling the leads and its dynamics of romance and camaraderie.
Over the Rainbow (2002) – Ahn Jin-woo
This is an odyssey of restoration that is entwined with grief and hopelessness. After an accident, weather broadcaster Lee Jin-su (Lee Jung-jae) gets partial amnesia. He seeks to identify a woman whose memory stays with him. Kang Jeong-hee (Jang Jin-young) is helping him most significantly in piecing together his scrambled memories, and in doing so, their connection grows stronger.
The Classic (2003) – Kwak Jae-young
Ji-hye (Son Ye-jin) finds a box of old letters and a journal that describe the life of her mother, Joo-hee (also Son). A scene from the mother’s perspective in the past is introduced with each letter she reads. The recollections are intercut with her own story, whereby she develops feelings for Sang-min (Jo In-sung). The Classic contains a series of surprises, but the one that really makes a splash happens toward the finish line.
…ing (2003) – Lee Eon-hie
Young Min-ah (Im Soo-jung) is a quiet and reclusive person who is increasingly cut off from her surroundings as an effect of her long-term medical condition and distorted hand. The picture subtly explores the bond between Min-ah and her mother Mi-sook (Lee Mi-sook), as well as her maturation while she gets acquainted with the exuberant photographer Young-jae (Kim Rae-won).
3-Iron (2004) – Kim Ki-duk
Lee Seung-yeon plays the wronged wife, Sun Hwa, in this absorbing classic with appealing absurdity that deftly handles a beautifully muddled love triangle. The bizarre art-house film 3-Iron, one of Kim Ki-duk’s signatures, metaphorically reflects reality. In this scene, Jae Hee is the young nomad Tae Suk, who sneaks into vacant properties to temporarily live like their residents when they are on vacation and gets romantically entangled with Sun Hwa one day.
Windstruck (2004) – Kwak Jae-young
Windstruck is like an easy breeze whisking you away and dragging you into its movement; it’s happy yet tragic, and it’s all about love—love that lasts forever, irrespective of its outcome. It is entirely a heartening romance between Yeo Kyung-jin (Jun Ji-hyun), a police officer, and Go Myung-woo (Jang Hyuk), a physics teacher who dies unexpectedly yet remains with Kyung-jin forever.
A Moment to Remember (2004) – John H. Lee
The analysis of a couple’s relationship, as it deals with the strains of sorrow brought on by Kim Su-jin’s diagnosis of a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease in Son Ye-jin’s portrayal of Su-jin and Jung Woo-sung’s portrayal of Choi Chul-soo, depicts their undying love. A deeply poignant chronicle at its core, character transitions, the plot’s progression, and facts about some cynical features of Korean culture, among other variables, come together into this exceptionally solid romance picture.
Feathers in the Wind (2004) – Song Il-gon
A filmmaker returns to an island where, a decade ago, he had arranged to meet his first love. The woman enrolled in a German university following her vow but eventually tied the knot with a German. For his subsequent screenplay, the filmmaker now on the island strikes up a bond with a girl running an inn alongside her mute uncle. Inexplicably, a piano shows up with news from the woman on the day they were supposed to meet.
My Little Bride (2004) – Kim Ho-joon
15-year-old high school girl Bo-eun (Moon Geun-young) has an eye on the star pitcher for her school’s baseball team. Unfortunately, to fulfill an agreement he made with Sang-min’s (Kim Rae-won) grandfather amid the Korean War, Bo-eun’s grandpa compels her to marry Sang-min. The union that results from this is one of unacceptance and shock that gradually gives way to understanding and fondness, culminating in love.
Too Beautiful to Lie (2004) – Bae Hyeong-jun
For her sister’s wedding, Joo Yeong-ju (Kim Ha-neul), a con woman, is on parole. She takes a train for the purpose and runs into pharmacist Choi Hee-cheol (Gang Dong-won), en route to propose to his fiancée with his late mother’s ring. On the way, Yeong-ju sees the ring being stolen, so she grabs it back for Hee-cheol. Still, in doing so, she misses her train and bag. Yeong-ju locates Hee-cheol and travels to his place to find her belongings. Everything turns dramatic when she gets embraced by his family, who imagines her to be their future daughter-in-law for having the ring.
Romance of Their Own (2004) – Kim Tae-gyun
In the wake of her father’s passing, Jung Han-kyung (Lee Chung-ah) relocates to the town to live with her mother. She is a typical high school student, but there is something enticing about her. Taken by that, the most popular boys, Ban Hae-won (Jo Han-sun) and Jung Tae-sung (Gang Dong-won) get embroiled in a tiff while vying for her. This sets up a remarkable love triangle laden with unforgettable experiences. The movie, also known as Temptation of Wolves, deservedly rose to the top of the 2004 list of best Korean movies, appraised by a slew of accolades.
Sad Movie (2005) – Kwon Jong-kwan
In these romantic, heartwarming anthologies, various individuals’ experiences are recorded as they navigate romance, grief, and living.
My Girl and I (2005) – Jeon Yun-su
In an excellent manifestation of fondly remembered romance, we see Kim Su-ho (Cha Tae-hyun) return for his high school reunion a decade later. He can hear a girl’s voice calling out to him as he’s walking. The day in question, it turns out, was the day Bae Su-eun (Song Hye-kyo), whom he loved, died. Recollection scenes find Su-ho wooing the gorgeous and popular Su-eun, and the couple’s bond is unshakable. But as soon as the tragedy that befell Su-eun is disclosed, their lives begin to crumble.
You Are My Sunshine (2005) – Park Jin-pyo
This Korean melodrama, one of the best thus far, is excellent at exploring the depths of love. It introduces Seok-joong (Hwang Jung-min), a farmer anxious to get married and raise a family. He falls passionately in love with Eun-ha (Jeon Do-yeon), the local coffee shop’s delivery girl. Eun-ha is initially miffed, but after witnessing his selflessness, she changes her mind, and the two choose to get married. Things go berserk when Eun-ha tests HIV positive and is discovered by her nasty ex-husband, compelling her to flee and turn to prostitution.
April Snow (2005) – Hur Jin-ho
In-su (Bae Yong-joon) and Seo-young (Son Ye-jin) meet at a medical facility after their partners suffer grave injuries in an accident and are made aware of their partners’ liaisons. While staying in the same hotel, In-su and Seo-young get closer, exchanging their sorrow and fury, and start feeling anxious about their spouse’s prognosis. Waking up from a coma when In-su’s wife regrets her prior deeds, he is forced to settle on an ultimatum.
Art of Seduction (2005) – Oh Ki-hwan
Love is the dominant force in this game of love, a rom-com that centers on two individuals, Min-jun (Song Il-gook) and Ji-won (Son Ye-jin), who are love experts. However, when they cross paths and Ji-won tries to use her love tricks on Min-jun, she is met with resistance. In truth, much to his surprise, he finds himself drawn to her. Being the seasoned players that they are, they find themselves in a scenario where they must avoid giving in to their fluctuating feelings. Thus begins an unusual romantic drama.
Daisy (2006) – Andrew Lau
Romance brews in Amsterdam between Hye-young (Jun Ji-hyun), a street artist; Jeong-woo (Lee Sung-jae), an Interpol officer hunting a criminal; and Park Yi (Jung Woo-sung), a covert hitman who watches her from a distance. Maintaining their anonymity, both men make remote advances on her while Hye-young aches to see the one who delivers flowers at her door and made a bridge over a creek after she accidentally fell in. Things will eventually come to a head in this thrilling romance when the men meet and their identities come to the fore.
I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2006) – Park Chan-wook
The bizarrely adorable story plays out in a mental health facility, with a focus on Cha Young-goon (Im Soo-jung), who claims to be a cyborg and that licking batteries provides her nourishment. At one point, a psychotic kleptomaniac, Park Il-Sun (Rain), who believes he can capture human souls, makes friends with her in the mental unit, and through a course of events, they confide in each other, falling in love.
Maundy Thursday (2006) – Song Hae-sung
Suicidal Yu-jeong (Lee Na-young) decides to meet Yun-soo (Gang Dong-won), a death row convict, despite preferring seclusion. She is a well-off university professor but has no desire to live after experiencing a sexual assault. Yun-soo likewise had an awful time; after being flung into poverty with a younger sibling to support, he wound up in crime and later was found guilty of murder. Their mutual despair pulls the two characters towards each other throughout their weekly encounters, and they increasingly wish to live in the brief lapses of time.
A Millionaire’s First Love (2006) – Kim Tae-gyun
Rich and spoiled brat Kang Jae-kyung (Hyun Bin), when 18 years old, will inherit his grandfather’s wealth, but not before he must change schools and pass the graduation exam in Gangwon Province. Access to his wealth is forbidden until then. He forfeits everything if he doesn’t complete his education or quits. Jae-kyung is forced to travel to a hamlet, where he runs across Choi Eun-hwan (Lee Yeon-hee), a teenage girl he has previously met. She melts his heart when her secret is revealed, and he figures out that love is more priceless than all material possessions.
Once in a Summer (2006) – Jo Geun-shik
A charming story, Once in a Summer, has wistful romanticism. Having her reticent but renowned professor participate in their television show is what a girl does to make up for her poor turnout as an associate producer. The program is directed at tracking down the guest’s long-lost love. The professor initially balks but then participates in sharing his tale, which transports him back in time to the tumultuous year of 1969.
Happiness (2007) – Hur Jin-ho
Contrary to its name, the story is a heartbreaking melodrama about a young woman patient, Eun-hee (Im Soo-jung), and a critically ill man, Young-su (Hwang Jung-min), at a rural facility. They soon fall in love and move into a farmhouse together, experiencing rapid health improvement. Sadly, when Young-su’s friends visit them, he begins contemplating abandoning the dull rural town and resuming his lavish old lifestyle.
Virgin Snow (2007) – Han Sang-hee
Lee Joon-gi’s Kim Min relocates to Japan, where he meets Aoki Miyazaki’s Sasaki Nanae, a stunning artist. Min notices she is attending his school and gets a crush on her. Despite the language and cultural differences, their connection deepens. Min rushes back to Korea without telling Nanae after his grandmother gets sick out of the blue. He hurries back to Japan for Nanae once his grandma heals, but is unable to locate her.
Miracle of Giving Fool (2008) – Kim Jeong-kwon
A gifted pianist named Ji-ho (Ha Ji-won) experiences stage fright, which has a devastating effect on her career. In this emotionally charged drama, when Ji-ho gets home, he runs into Seung-ryong (Cha Tae-hyun), her high school friend who is now mentally challenged and attempting to fulfill his mother’s final wish. Later, Ji-ho learns the circumstances of Seung-ryong’s impairment and decides to reestablish their friendship.
More Than Blue (2009) – Won Tae-yeon
Cream (Lee Bo-young) adores K (Kwon Sang-woo), but K has terminal cancer. The two are soulmates and move in together. Knowing that Cream’s worst fear is living alone, K dismisses his predicament and instead encourages her to marry an ideal and healthy guy while keeping his love for her undisclosed.
Season of Good Rain (2009) – Hur Jin-ho
When two friends who had split up years earlier stumble into each other again, an unfulfilled romance finds its way back into their hearts and soaks them like spring rain. This happens when an architect (Jung Woo-sung as Park Dong-ha) and a tour guide (Gao Yuanyuan as May) accidentally cross paths while the architect is visiting Chengdu, China. As these two former friends reconnect, they sense that their friendship may have had much more potential.
Finding Mr. Destiny (2010) – Jang You-Jeong
Gong Yoo plays the vibrant, single, and endowed with quirky charisma Han Gi-joon in Finding Mr. Destiny. Gi-joon has a fiercely meticulous temperament and is a little too zealous about business. After losing his job as a travel agent, he opens his office to help people find their first love. His first client is Seo Ji-woo (Im Soo-jung). Gi-joon’s displayed courtship with Ji-woo, as the plot advances, yields an appealing romantic comedy movie.
Always (2011) – Song Il-gon
Love and sacrifice are most beautifully expressed in Always. Parking attendant Jang Cheol-min (So Ji-sub), an ex-boxer, falls for Ha Jung-hwa (Han Hyo-joo), a blind telemarketer who maintains her fortitude amid an arduous existence. Cheol-min’s genuine love for her can be seen in his willingness to do all he can to make her smile. In a setting where true love is frequently viewed as imagined, his commitment is a consoling reminder of its existence. He traverses tough terrain while risking everything to ensure Jung-hwa’s eye surgery. The idea of overcoming obstacles and reaching fulfillment through love also rings true in the movie.
Pained (2011) – Kwak Kyung-taek
Nam-soon (Kwon Sang-woo), a debt collector, is pain-insensitive as a side effect of a horrific injury; in turn, he is numb to the periodic assaults he receives at work. Conversely, Dong-hyun (Jung Ryeo-won), a street seller, has severe hemophilia and is incapable of controlling bleeds. She is so vulnerable that a simple hit might be fatal. He offers to take her in when she is homeless after amassing her money. As they grow more intimate, Nam-soon unexpectedly turns sensitive to pain, and the hurt of the past overwhelms him. Yet the two loners look for hope together.
A Werewolf Boy (2012) – Jo Sung-hee
A charming young girl (Park Bo-young) is sent to the countryside for her health, where she befriends and tries to civilize a frantic feral boy (Song Joong-ki) uncovered around the premises, but the monstrosity within him remains ready to go off. This is an intimate and fascinating love story between them, explaining the endurance and generosity of love that never fails but perseveres through machinations and time.
Love 911 (2012) – Jeong Gi-hoon
In an accident when he was helping another person, Kang-il (Go Soo), a rescue firefighter, lost his wife. He fervently leaps into danger to save others, while he struggles with remorse over not being able to save his wife. A physician, Mi-soo (Han Hyo-joo), is accused of negligence by a patient’s husband for misdiagnosing her, who then acquires a serious condition. Her attorney recommends she get Kang-il to testify against the patient’s spouse over an assault that occurred while he was grieving since she runs the risk of jeopardizing her career. Mi-soo decides to date Kang-il in a bid to win him over.
A Muse (2012) – Jung Ji-woo
Eun-gyo, a sultry high school student, becomes the muse of a 70-year-old poet who falls madly in love with her. Stunningly nuanced is how Kim Go-eun portrays Eun-gyo, but in her role-playing as a temptress, Kim was too bold yet too naive to have pondered the consequences of what she did. Because it depicted an elderly man and a youngster in intimate relationships, it generated a lot of negative press when it was first released. Still, it also pushed Kim from anonymity to the center of intense publicity.
Man in Love (2014) – Han Dong-wook
Han Tae-il (Hwang Jung-min) is a thug who works for a loan shark, going about collecting debts. He doesn’t have moral hesitations about it until he meets Joo Ho-jung (Han Hye-jin), a bank teller who is caring for her indebted and sickly father. During their first meeting, Tae-il coerces her into signing a document that binds her to sell her organs if she is unable to repay her father’s debt on time. But thereafter, Tae-il sees himself continuously mulling over Ho-jung, and his sense of shame starts gripping him. He drafts a new agreement and presents it to her, promising to release her from the obligation if she dates him.
The Beauty Inside (2015) – Baek Jong-Yeol
In a beautifully staged romantic comedy that highlights true love through a range of unforeseen instances, Woo-jin (various actors) wakes up on his 18th birthday to a face and physique that have changed. Regardless of their age, gender, or nationality, Woo-jin, now a furniture designer, keeps awakening in an entirely distinct body. Interestingly, his internal self doesn’t alter despite his external changes.
Pure Love aka Unforgettable (2016) – Lee Eun-hees
D.O. and Kim So-hyun play the lead characters in the poignant romance drama Pure Love, which was globally marketed as Unforgettable. We observe a radio DJ receiving a letter from his first love in 2014, reviving memories that were all but forgotten. 23 years ago, five friends got together for the summer of 1991. Beom-sil (D.O.), one of them, starts to feel something for Soo-ok (Kim). She has a limb condition that prohibits her from walking normally; therefore, he carries her all the time. As their relationship deepens, he starts to picture her as his bride-to-be.
Love, Lies (2016) – Park Heung-sik
In 1943, when Japan’s Imperial Army was occupying Korea, two of the last remaining gisaeng were best friends, Jung So-yul (Han Hyo-joo) and Seo Yeon-hee (Chun Woo-hee). They tend to stick to singing traditional Korean melodies, albeit loving contemporary music. When Yeon-hee falls in love with So-yul’s lover, pop music producer Kim Yoon-woo (Yoo Yeon-seok), and he launches her as a pop singer, So-yul breaks apart. She is left devastated by the betrayal of both her lover and best friend, and the tale tracks her fall thereupon.
Be With You (2018) – Lee Jang-Hoon
Soo-ah (Son Ye-jin) assures Woo-jin (So Ji-sub) that she will return next year at the onset of the rainy season before dying. She fulfills her vow but remains completely oblivious to her past. Also, the joy of the reunion is short-lived because Soo-ah must leave as the rainy season draws to a close. A heartwarming love story with poignant scenes and a bittersweet resolution that reinforces what’s vital in life—love, faith, family, and the choices you make above all else—is what brings eternal happiness, no matter how fleeting life is.
On Your Wedding Day (2018) – Lee Seok-geun
This is a raved-about love story filled with fond recollections of youth. We watch as a man (Kim Young-kwang as Hwang Woo-yeon) gets a wedding invitation from his high school sweetheart (Park Bo-young as Hwan Seung-hee) and reflects on all his hardships to meet her throughout the years and how they endured the various phases in their relationship. When he finally attends her big day, he thanks her for being the beacon of his path, and she thanks him for being with her in need before he exits the celebration.
Tune in for Love (2019) – Jung Ji-woo
A period romance between Kim Mi-soo (Kim Go-eun) and Cha Hyun-woo (Jung Hae-in), amid the IMF Crisis of 1997, is at the heart of this film, painstakingly documented, from the sheer nuance of how things have been filmed to the complexity of circumstances, the specifics of emotions etched out by the characters, and their maturity. It’s a literary romance in all but identity, with theatrical beauty that’s dripping with bluesy artsiness.
