Romance is a popular genre within K-dramas, with a handful of beloved series ending in a way that’ll leave audiences happy and satisfied. The sweeping portrayals of love in romance K-dramas are sometimes more effective when they end in heartbreak, ensuring invested audiences think about the tearful endings for some time after the series is over. However, happy endings have proven to be just as effective. Though some romance stories are written with convenient plot points to achieve a happy ending, all that matters is that viewers are satisfied with where their favorite characters end up.
However, that isn’t to say these K-dramas are without tension, plot twists, or the familiar use of tropes. Many of these K-dramas are considered romantic comedies, but there’s just enough tension and obstacles placed between the leading couple to keep audiences invested in how their love story will play out. The best romantic K-dramas with happy endings are lighthearted series and easy viewing experiences, guaranteed to capture the hearts of romance fans.
10 Oh My Venus (2015-2016)
A Personal Trainer Falls In Love With A Client
The subject matter addressed in Oh My Venus is a tricky one to navigate, but the series pulls its message off with great consideration. The K-drama revolves around a personal trainer, Kim Young-ho (So Ji-sub), who helps a woman transform her life by working on her physical appearance. The woman, Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-a), has been made to feel bad about her weight, and she initially believes working on her body will turn her life around.
Throughout Oh My Venus, the two fall in love and help one another heal from their traumatic pasts. Luckily, the message about inner beauty is strong and Joo-eun doesn’t end the series believing her worth is tied to her physical appearance. Oh My Venus also brings up a few other obstacles for the couple, including a hard-to-impress family and a history of medical issues that risk threatening their future.
9 Love To Hate You (2023)
The Challenging Relationship Between A Lawyer And An Actor
The short number of episodes and central love story in Love to Hate Youmake the K-drama easy to binge in a day. Similar to Shooting Stars, Love to Hate You sees a respected lawyer, Yeo Mi-ran (Kim Ok-vin), go from resenting one of her law firm’s clients, actor Nam Kang-ho (Teo Yoo), to falling madly in love with him. The initial feelings of hatred are mutual, as both individuals have had bad dating experiences before that led them to despise the opposite gender.
Love to Hate You only has 10 episodes to cover Mi-ran and Kang-ho’s love story, so things get moving quickly. Luckily, the series rarely feels rushed, and it pulls off its use of common K-drama clichés, ensuring the series isn’t too predictable. Drawing more similarities to K-dramas like Shooting Stars, the leading couple in Love to Hate You must deal with the negative backlash that comes when their relationship is exposed.
8 Because This Is My First Life (2017)
Two People Marry For Convenience But Eventually Fall In Love
Several romantic TV series and films see couples pretending to date or get into relationships for the sake of convenience. In Because This Is My First Life, Nam Se-hee (Lee Min-ki) and Yoon Ji-ho (Jung So-min) agree to be married so they can live with one another in a home for a relatively cheap price. Both individuals are struggling financially and use the shared space to escape troubles in their lives.
Despite initially agreeing to keep things between them platonic, Se-hee and Ji-ho eventually fall in love with one another. While living together, the two help one another heal and grow from their past struggles. This leads them to be emotionally prepared for a romantic relationship with one another. Problems do occasionally pop up for the couple, but they show it’s nothing they can’t handle.
7 My Roommate Is A Gumiho (2021)
The Love Story Between A Gumiho And A Girl
A K-drama that mixes romance and fantasy, My Roommate Is a Gumiho pulls inspiration from a famous Korean folk creature known as a “gumiho.” Originally a nine-tailed fox that transforms into a beautiful woman to attract men and eat their hearts, My Roommate Is a Gumiho changes a few components of the creature to fit its story. The gumiho in the series is Shin Woo-yeo (Jang Ki-yong), who wishes to become a human. Before he can, a college student, Lee Dam (Lee Hye-ri), accidentally swallows one of the magical beads that would allow him to be human.
My Roommate Is a Gumiho details their budding romantic connection and the ways in which they attempt to get the bead back. The magic of the fox beads is not an easy force to overcome, therefore there are several moments in the K-drama where it appears Dam and Woo-yeo won’t make it as a couple. Luckily, things work out after an unexpected turn of events.
6 The Forbidden Marriage (2022-2023)
A Joseon King Falls In Love Again
With a humorous approach to the historical K-drama genre, The Forbidden Marriage tells the story of a Joseon king (Kim Young-dae) banning marriage. This ban comes after his crowned princess died several years ago. However, the new rule doesn’t stop matchmaker Ye So-rang (Park Ju-hyun) from continuing her business, and she manages to trick the king into believing she’s been possessed by the spirit of his deceased love interest.
Eventually, King Lee Heon and So-rang fall in love, and the validity of the marriage ban comes into question. The premise of The Forbidden Marriage means the series doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the K-drama is largely silly as So-rang tries to keep the act up. However, the K-drama also spends a dedicated amount of time on King Lee Heon’s grieving, which adds a needed emotional aspect that grounds the show.
5 Our Beloved Summer (2021-2022)
Two Individuals Are Forced To Reunite And Romantic Feelings Begin To Develop
Considered Studio N’s first original series, Our Beloved Summer is a romantic coming-of-age story that has a unique setup. The series follows Choi Ung (Choi Woo-shik) and Kook Yeon-soo (Kim Da-mi), a high school couple who break up and swear to never speak to or see one another again. However, when the documentary they filmed in high school goes viral years later, they are forced to cross paths once again. Our Beloved Summer details the characters’ growth as individuals.
When they reunite years later, they see one another in a different light and gradually rekindle their friendship and, eventually, their romantic relationship. In line with many of the other romantic K-dramas listed, Our Beloved Summer appears to end with the couple forced to follow different paths and break up, but a final act of love changes everything for the better.
4 Mad For Each Other (2021)
Two People Drive Each Other Crazy And Fall In Love
The title of Mad for Each Other suggests audiences are about to embark on a wild ride where two people are confused by their conflicting feelings for the other person. Mad for Each Other follows Noh Hwi-oh (Jung Woo), a man with anger management problems as a result of his police work, and Lee Min-kyung (Oh Yeon-seo), a woman who is compulsive and has trouble trusting others. These two individuals discover they are neighbors and share the same therapist.
Despite their best efforts, Min-kyung and Hwi-oh just can’t seem to get away from one another. Mad for Each Other portrays the comedic ways the two try to avoid one another, which is balanced well with the series’ handle on the subject of mental health. The K-drama ends on a happy note for the pairing and sends a positive message to audiences about the possibility of a bright future despite a difficult past.
3 Shooting Stars (2022)
A Famous Actor And PR Manager Fall In Love
Two people who loathe one another at the start of their relationship, only to fall in love by the end, is one of the most popular types of love stories. In Shooting Stars, the K-drama’s enemies-to-lovers are the head of an entertainment company’s PR department, Oh Han-byul (Lee Sung-kyung), and celebrated actor Gong Tae-sung (Kim Young-dae). Having originally met back in their university days, Tae-sung, who had just signed with the entertainment company, and Han-byul clash.
Han-byul knows who Tae-sung is beneath his public persona, but as they continue to work together, feelings of romantic attraction begin to form. Shooting Stars has a happy ending, so everything works out fine for the couple, but not before they face some obstacles in their relationship. Shooting Stars does a great job of exploring not just the way their relationship evolves, but also the ways in which Tae-sung’s fame impacts aspects of his personal life.
2 Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)
Sparks Fly Between A Newcomer And A Local Handyman
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is a traditional romantic comedy that has an ideal balance of sweet and humorous moments. The series follows Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) as she moves to a seaside village to get a fresh start in life. While settling into her new town, Hye-jin meets a local handyman, Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho), and the two fall in love. The on-screen chemistry between the series’ leading actors helped Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha become one of Netflix’s most-watched non-English TV shows.
Up until the last episode, it appears that Du-sik and Hye-jin are destined to be apart until they each come to one another and propose an unexpected question. Mixed in with the central love story between Du-sik and Hye-jin is the inclusion of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha‘s eccentric locals. The unexpected romance between Du-sik and Hye-jin takes the supporting characters by surprise and as the couple begin settling into their relationship, the locals make sure to involve themselves in comedic ways.
1 Fight For My Way (2017)
Two Friends Fall In Love While Trying To Be Successful
Fight for My Way is a relatable K-drama about friendship and the determination it takes to reach one’s career goals, but at the center of the series is a compelling love story between longtime friends Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) and Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won). Dong-man and Ae-ra are two friends within a group that refers to themselves as the “Crazy Fantastic Four.”
Ae-ra and Dong-man have a similar playful energy as they did when they were kids, which results in sweet scenes between the two as they begin to develop feelings for one another. The romance and friendship components of the show are balanced well and make audiences equally invested in everyone’s success. The path to success isn’t easy, but the characters in Fight for My Way reach a happy ending that is satisfying to audiences.