10 Romantic K-Dramas To Watch This Valentine's Day On Viki
From teen crushes that grow into something deeper, to childhood sweethearts finding their way back to each other, and enemies to lovers in the most unlikely romances, K-dramas have long mastered the art of romantic storytelling. Add fantasy to the mix and even love blossoms in the time of danger. Over the years K-dramas have made even skeptics believe and fall in love. Sure, everyday is Valentine’s Day in the K-drama universe, but why not revisit some favorites this February? Here are 10 dramas that fit the bill!
“What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim”
Lee Young Joon (Park Seo Joon) is the brilliant yet unbearably narcissistic vice president of a thriving family-owned company. Young Joon is good-looking and overtly confident. The man believes he alone is the reason for his success, giving little or perhaps no acknowledgment to those who work with him. He meets his match in his secretary, Kim Mi So (Park Min Young). Super efficient to the point of perfection, one day she decides to call it quits.
Young Joon, helpless for the first time, asks her to stay with many of his attempts being borderline hilarious. However, the unthinkable happens when Young Joon falls hopelessly in love with Mi So, and the twist in the plot is that there is a long forgotten promise.
As a quintessential boss-secretary rom-com, this drama gives you everything: the laughs, the plot, and terrific chemistry.
Start watching “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim”:
“Descendants of the Sun”
From the swanky office in Seoul to a strife ridden area somewhere in the middle of nowhere, love blossoms between a soldier and a doctor. Yoo Shi Jin (Song Joong Ki), a captain with the special forces unit, first meets Dr. Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) at a hospital. He is smitten, but duty calls him, and he is transferred for a special task. But what are the chances that Mo Yeon and her team would land up there as well for medical aid?
It is not smooth sailing as their very different professions and personal ideologies clash. But it is here between lurking danger, which includes a deadly virus and human trafficking, that the two fall in love. Along with the main leads’ great chemistry and a second lead couple to top things off, this K-drama is a classic for a reason.
Start watching “Descendants of the Sun”:
“Oh My Venus”
A heart-pumping romance unfolds when celebrity personal trainer Kim Young Ho (So Ji Sub) crosses paths with lawyer Kang Joo Eun (Shin Min Ah). Joo Eun has let herself go, and her overall health is in shambles. Young Ho, on the other hand, has fled from his high flying life in Los Angeles following a scandal. What begins as a client-trainer equation soon turns into something more. Between high intensity workouts and steamed salads, we get a delightful recipe for love.
What makes this one a perfect watch is the fiery chemistry between the two leads, their adorable antics, and the added motivation to get off the couch and workout.
Start watching “Oh My Venus”:
“Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo”
Kim Bok Joo (Lee Sung Kyung) is a heavy lifter in more ways than one. As a college weightlifting champ with her sights set on a gold medal, she can lift weights with the same ease with which she demolishes plates of fried chicken. But everything changes when she gets infatuated with a doctor. Suddenly, Bok Joo wants to lose weight, which is a no-no for weightlifting champs. Plus, she wants to grow bangs and feel feminine for the first time.
Enter the campus heartthrob, swimmer Jung Joon Hyung (Nam Joo Hyuk), who had feelings for Bok Joo during their elementary school days. The two begin as friends, with Joon Hyung patiently enduring her “doctor crush” phase, despite the fact that the man in question is his older brother.
Soon enough, as Bok Joo gets closer to Joon Hyung, she realizes it’s him whom she feels most at ease with. An uncomplicated coming-of-age romance, the show scores on all aspects, with both Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk making the cutest campus couple.
Start watching “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo”:
“Strong Woman Do Bong Soon”
Do Bong Soon (Park Bo Young) is also a heavy lifter, but her strength is not forged in the gym, it is something she has been born with. She comes from a long line of women who have been blessed with monumental strength, but there is one caveat: they can only use it for good causes.
Do Bong Soon agrees to work as a bodyguard to Ahn Min Hyuk (Park Hyung Sik), the CEO of a gaming company. Unbeknownst to Bong Soon, Min Hyuk has had a past connection to her, and the two soon find themselves helping Bong Soon’s detective friend solve a crime.
A perfect popcorn rom-com, both Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik showcase their flair for comedy as they deliver a cute romance.
Start watching “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon”:
“Guardian: The Lonely and Great God”
Kim Shin, aka the Goblin (Gong Yoo), is cursed to a lifetime of immortality. He has roamed the earth for a thousand years and is waiting for his bride, the one woman who can remove the sword wedged in his chest and free him from the physical world.
The ageless and handsome Goblin meets an orphan named Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun). This young girl has the ability to call upon him, and he soon realizes that she is the one, the Goblin’s bride.
As the two embark on a magical journey with the Goblin showing her the wonders of the world, he slowly realizes he is falling in love with her and becomes hesitant to have the sword removed.
“Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” is a bittersweet love story, one that works for all seasons and occasions. It makes you laugh, cry, and ache with its love story. The bromance between Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook is also one for the textbooks.
Start watching “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God”:
“Lovely Runner”
To what lengths can you go to save the life of your favorite idol? Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon), a devoted fan of Ryu Sun Jae (Byeon Woo Seok), is devastated over the tragedy that has befallen him. On the day of his passing, she suddenly finds herself back in the past, with Sun Jae still alive.
Determined to change the hands of time, she pulls out all the stops to try and alter their destiny. But it seems Sun Jae’s survival is also closely linked to her own story. As she embarks on her mission to save Sun Jae, we get a magical rom-com.
“Lovely Runner” became one of the most popular shows, catapulting Im Sol and Sun Jae as pop cultural icons. Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok make this drama unforgettable with their warmth, vulnerability, and a quiet intensity in their characters.
Start watching “Lovely Runner”:
“Her Private Life”
Sung Duk Mi (Park Min Young) is a curator for an art gallery. However, she has a secret: she is the owner of a fansite dedicated to Cha Shi An (Jung Je Won). She is die-hard fan girl who takes her fandom very seriously.
When her path crosses with Ryan Gold (Kim Jae Wook), the two bid for the same painting, one by Shi An’s favorite artist. And the battle lines are drawn. To Duk Mi’s horror, Ryan Gold is the new director at her art gallery. He is not only her boss, but he has also discovered her well-kept secret when he lays his hands on her fangirl planner. As the fun begins, so does a tingling and unlikely love affair between the two.
The scorching chemistry between Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook will make your heart race and skips several beats in this one.
Starting watching “Her Private Life”:
“True Beauty”
Lim Ju Gyeong (Moon Ga Young) is constantly bullied for her looks. In a world where physical appearances matter more than anything, Ju Gyeong takes a deep dive into the world of makeup and fixes it to enhance her looks.
Soon enough, she catches the eye of the school’s most handsome guy, Lee Su Ho (Cha Eun Woo), who is well aware of her past. As a cute romance starts between the two, she also catches the eye of the quiet Han Seo Jun (Hwang In Youp). Su Ho and Seo Jun, one time best friends, are now sworn enemies and vying for Ju Gyeong’s affections makes the dynamics tense.
A coming-of-age high school romance, “True Beauty” is a reminder that confidence, kindness, and self acceptance matter far more than appearances.
Start watching “True Beauty”:
“Heirs”
Kim Tan’s (Lee Min Ho) life looks like everything you could wish for. He is the heir to Empire Group, a powerful family conglomerate. In reality, however, he lives in the shadow of his older brother, who sends him to the United States to secure his own position in the company.
But Kim Tan’s move to the U.S. is not entirely unfortunate. He meets Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye), who has travelled to the States in search of her sister. Their initial bickering gradually gives way to growing feelings, and Kim Tan realizes he is falling in love, unaware that she is the daughter of his family’s housekeeper back in South Korea.
The classic “rich boy-poor girl” love story gets a twist, with Kim Tan’s one-time buddy and now arch rival Choi Young Do (Kim Woo Bin) also vying for Eun Sang.
“Heirs” remains an all-time favorite high school romance in the K-drama universe. Its fabulous ensemble cast as well as its chemistry between Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye give it a strong rewatch value.
Start watching “Heirs”:
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.