2025 is ending, but romance is thriving. The K-drama scene has been rolling out show after show this year, and it’s hard to keep up. Ever since Squid Game first paved the way for global recognition, K-dramas have spanned every storyline imaginable, from thrilling zombie apocalypses to backstabbing family heir dramas.
But there’s no genre more familiar, more comforting than romance. On one hand, Korean romances make viewers feel good with their sappy moments and satisfying emotional payoffs. Yet some K-romances are surprisingly deep, hitting viewers with hard truths about love. Without further ado, here are the best K-romances of 2025, ranked.
10
‘When the Stars Gossip’
Nothing’s riskier than a romance-gone-wrong in space. When the Stars Gossip follows Gong Ryong (Lee Min-Ho), an OB/GYN who becomes a space tourist on a secret mission tied to a powerful chaebol family. On the space station, he clashes with Commander Eve Kim (Gong Hyo-Jin), a strict, brilliant scientist leading her first mission. Joining them is also Kang Kang-Su (Oh Jung-Se), a fruit fly research scientist.
Ignoring the scientifically inaccurate plot, When the Stars Gossip is a classic case of two opposing romantic leads falling in love with each other. Having no prior experience as an astronaut, Gong Ryong is forced to go to space to conduct fertility research. He could only confide in the highly guarded Eve — understandable since she’s spent all these years alone. Within a confined setting, the two ultimately let down their walls and slowly open up to each other.
9
‘Our Unwritten Seoul’
If The Parent Trap was made into a grown-up K-romance, it would be Our Unwritten Seoul. Identical twins Yoo Mi-ji (Park Bo-young) and Yoo Mi-rae (Bo-young) are complete opposites: the former is a free-spirited athlete, while the latter is a perfectionist office worker. In the aftermath of an ankle injury and workplace bullying, Mi-ji and Mi-rae try to rediscover themselves by doing something any twin siblings would do: swap lives.
Much of Our Unwritten Seoul is about self-discovery, but the show also serves as a slow-burning romance between Mi-ji and lawyer Ho-soo (Park Jin-young). Their relationship is essential to Mi-ji figuring out how she wants to move forward in life. The same for Ho-soo: with Mi-ji being his first, long-lost love, he doesn’t waste this second opportunity to let his true feelings finally be known.
8
‘Love Scout’
It’s hard to find time for love these days. Love Scout follows Kang Ji-yun (Han Ji-min), the rising CEO of the headhunting company Peoplez. Ji-yun is excellent in the HR department, but when it comes to love, she’s hopeless. Ji-yun unexpectedly encounters Yu Eun-ho (Lee Jun-hyuk), a skilled secretary who happens to be a single father. Their business partnership just got a lot more prospective.
Love Scout gives off The Proposal vibes with the female lead being in a higher, professional ranking than her male counterpart. Hierarchies aside, the two bond over valuable life lessons as corporate adults. The series’ climax also shows that neither wealth nor good looks are enough to make someone like you. It’s at this point that the usually uptight Ji-yun follows her heart and delivers one of the most satisfying scenes with Eun-ho.
7
‘Motel California’
First loves, like the one in Motel California, are hard to forget. Ji Kang-hee (Lee Se-young) spent her childhood growing up in her father’s rural motel. Unfortunately, Kang-hee became the talk of the town because of her mixed-race background. After leaving at 20 to become a successful interior designer, she returns home 12 years later with her first love, veterinarian Cheon Yeon-soo (Na In-woo).
It’s heartwarming to watch a childhood crush grow into a serious romance in real time. The two leads are endearing, as shown in their younger days when they shared ice cream and pinky promises. Even as adults, the tenderness remains. If a man is willing to dress up as Santa to confess his love like Yeon-soo, he’s a keeper.
6
‘My Youth’
Growing up is difficult, but it’s different when you used to be famous. My Youth follows Sunwoo Hae (Song Joong-ki), a former child actor whose early fame was destroyed by greedy adults, now living quietly as a novelist and florist. Ten years later, his first love, Sung Je-yeon (Chun Woo-hee), resurfaces.Once each other’s anchor during times, their reunion forces Hae to confront his past.
For Hae, he finds romance difficult because of his family baggage. However, Je-yeon reminds him that he deserves to be loved too, making their relationship endearing. The two have their silly times, like having to share the same hotel room and feeding each other. But My Youth also has its serious moments, like Je-yeon calming Hae during his panic attack.
5
‘Tastefully Yours’
Food and feelings clash with each other in Tastefully Yours. Han Beom-woo (Kang Ha-neul) may be the heir to a major food company backing a fine dining restaurant. But in an ironic joke, Beom-woo lacks passion for taste. Meanwhile, the flavor-obsessed chef Mo Yeon-joo (Go Min-si) runs a hidden one-table restaurant. Despite their professional clashes, they start managing a small restaurant together in Jeonju.
Just like The Bear, there are a lot of shenanigans when starting an eatery. The same can be said for Beom-woo and Yeon-joo. But instead of stabbing each other with knives, the two find themselves flustered in random scenarios. From Beom-woo catching a falling Yeon-joo while searching for mushrooms, to Yeon-joo melting into Beom-woo’s hug at a food festival, there’s romance in this restaurant.
4
‘Melo Movie’
Melo Movie shows what it’s like to pursue your dreams, all while carrying old wounds. A story of young lovers and past trauma, the series follows Ko Gyeom (Choi Woo-shik), a former extra who becomes a movie critic with one goal in mind: to watch all the movies in the world. Kim Mu-bee (Park Bo-young) works in the movie industry, but her passion is fueled by her love-hate relationship with her father.
Melo Movie proves that circumstances do not define people. Mu-bee might be understandably cold because of her bitter past, but that doesn’t stop the cheerful Ko Gyeom from being attracted to her.As if destined to be together, the two constantly find themselves in situations Mu-bee dislikes, including accidentally missing the bus.
3
‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty’
It takes more than talent to cook for royalty. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty follows Yeon Ji-yeong (Im Yoon-ah), a chirpy French chef who, after winning a cooking competition, is mysteriously transported to the Joseon era. She serves her fusion cuisine to the tyrannical King Yi Heon (Lee Chae-min), whose extraordinary taste impresses him. Offered a role at the royal palace, Ji-young must get used to the monarchy’s inner politics, all while whipping up delicious meals.
Combining fantasy, history, and romance, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is a bold step in K-dramas. The female lead also channels this courageous energy as she first faces off with the king, though she does not yet know his true identity. Despite their generational differences and social hierarchies, food becomes a bridge to the heart.
2
‘Resident Playbook’
A spin-off to the celebrated K-drama Hospital Playlist, the equally chaotic Resident Playbook follows the lives and friendships of professors and doctors at Yulje Medical Center’s Jongno branch. Focusing on a group of young obstetrics and gynecology residents, the show sees them at their highs and lows as medical professionals. To make it more interesting, the team works in a less popular department during an era of low birth rates.
In between shifts, the folks in Resident Playbook still find time for romance. One of the more notable couples includes Oh Yi-young (Go Youn-jung) and Ku Do-won (Jung Joon-won). Although Yi-young’s relationship with an anesthesiologist is strictly professional, Do-won can’t help but watch from the sidelines with jealousy. With lives on the line, these residents don’t have the luxury of time to confront their own feelings.
1
‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’
When Life Gives You Tangerines follows Ae-sun (IU), a free-spirited book lover, and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum), a gentle farmhand, whose romance slowly builds on 1950s Jeju Island. Amid juicy tangerine groves and quiet library corners, their young love grows through shy glances and shared moments. Yet the aftermath of war forces them to face the realities of their relationship.
Despite circumstances beyond their control, Ae-sun and Gwan-sik remain devoted, showing the endurance of love. Their bittersweet farewell reminds viewers that happiness can be fleeting, yet the memories and grief that follow proves the depth of their bond. There are no clichés, no happy ending — just a message about how love emerges not in true ease, but in perseverance through trials.
