5 Classic Romance K-Dramas to Watch This Fall
The romance K-drama genre has more than enough storylines to pick from. It may even be overwhelming as the Fall season approaches, leaving for a perfect opportunity to stay home and binge-watch a drama. Have no fear. The best way to start the Fall season is to watch a classic romance K-drama, like What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? and more.
‘Full House’ is a 2004 oldie but a goodie classic romance
Fans of the Netflix coming-of-age romance K-drama Twenty-Five Twenty-One will likely recall Full House in a lightbulb moment. In the K-drama, the female lead is in love with a comic book series called Full House. Fans did not know that it was turned into a romance-comedy K-drama of the same name in 2004.
K-Pop idol and actor Rain starred in the leading role of Lee Young-jae, alongside Now, We Are Breaking Up star Song Hye-kyo. Han Ji-eun (Song) is an aspiring scriptwriter living in a beautiful home built by her late father. When her two best friends convince her to go on a vacation, she meets actor Lee Young-jae (Rain).
But unknown to her, she is tricked, and her house is sold. While Ji-eun gets acquainted with Young-jae while on vacation, their amicable friendship turns bitter. Her father’s house was sold to none other than Young-jae. While no longer cordial, they agree to live together and enter a contract marriage that blossoms into something more.
Full House is available to stream on Viki.
‘Strong Woman Bong-soon’ is a classic romance K-drama with love, mystery, and more
It is unlikely that a K-drama fan has not seen Strong Woman Bong-soon at least once. It is a classic romance K-drama perfect for the Fall season thanks to its multiple themes. The sweet, bubbly, and kind Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) has a secret. The women in her family were blessed with superhuman strength.
But instead of being a superhero, Bong-soon dreams of being a game developer and capturing her crush’s attention. In a twist of fate, she finds herself as the bodyguard for Ahn Min-hyuk (Park Hyung-sik), the CEO of a gaming company who discovered her secret.
What makes the romance K-drama perfect for Fall? Its storyline is a mystery as women in Bong-soon’s neighborhood are getting kidnapped, putting her best friend in danger. To add the necessary spice, Bong-soon and Min-hyuk begin to develop feelings.
Strong Woman Bong-soon is available to stream on Viki.
‘Crash Landing On You’ needs no introduction to its global fame in the K-drama world
If having to list one of K-drama’s most infamous romance storylines that became classics, Crash Landing On You is a no-brainer. The 2019 drama became a smashing success as Netflix ventured into K-content. Starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, the North-South Korean romance focused on the complex love story between a chaebol heir and a North Korean army captain.
Yoon Se-ri (Son) built her own business and self-worth away from her family’s name. With her father returning from prison, he decides to hand over his company to Se-ri. But it leads to her siblings being envious. One day, Se-ri takes a needed break and goes paragliding. An unforeseen storm pushed her into a demilitarized zone in North Korea.
Entering North Korea without permission leads to consequences, and she soon meets Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok. While able to escape, Jeong-hyeok remeets Se-ri. He risks his career and life to protect her and find a way to take her back home. They develop a dangerous love story.
Crash Landing On You’s fame is infamous as Song, and Hyun Bin fell in love while starring in the K-drama and got married in real life. The K-drama is available to stream on Netflix.
‘The Moon Embracing the Sun’ is a historical romance K-drama that became a classic about true love
The storyline for the 2012 K-drama is a lot to dive into but perfect for fans who want classic romance for the Fall. The Moon Embracing the Sun is adapted from a novel of the same name by Jung Eun-gwol. It is a love story between a king and a shaman.
To start, an unborn baby girl has a destined fate in a kingdom riddled with corrupt politics. Now an adult, Heo Yeon-woo (Han Ga-in) falls in love with Lee Hwon (Kim Soo-hyun), the crown prince and future king. But the evil Queen Dowager has another candidate to marry the prince so she can maintain her power. Yeon-woo is one day diagnosed with an illness and expelled from the palace. She is presumed dead but is alive and has memory loss from the trauma.
Years later, Yeon Woo becomes Shaman Wol. She is summoned to the palace and stuns Lee Hwon, the now king, with her resemblance to his first love. They soon start a forbidden romance.
The Moon Embracing the Sun is available on Viki.
‘Boys Over Flowers’ defined the poor girl and rich male lead trope of K-dramas
One of the most acclaimed classic romance K-drama is none other than Boys Over Flowers. The K-drama is a perfect watch for the Fall and newbies just starting. The 2009 K-drama is based on a popular Japanese series. It starred Pachinko actor Lee Min-ho at the start of his career alongside Ku Hye-sun.
The prestigious Shinhwa High School caters to Korea’s top 1% and their children. Gu Jun-pyo (Lee) is the heir to one of Korea’s top conglomerates and leads the school’s F4, the male sons of the top four families. When they bully another student almost to the point of taking his own life, Geum Jan-di (Ku Hye-sun) saves him.
In response to the public backlash, Jan-di is offered a scholarship to the school. Coming from a poor background, she is unimpressed by her new environment. She becomes rivals with Jun-pyo. But their hatred turns into love.
Boys Over Flowers is available to stream on Viki.
