Romantic Korean Dramas To Watch This February
From light-hearted rom-coms to those that'll tug on your heartstrings, these romantic Korean dramas will help set the mood for the season of love.
By Michelle Lee SM -
If your plans on Valentine's Day (or over the Lunar New Year holidays) involve cosying up in bed all evening, consider getting started on some of these swoon-worthy Korean dramas, if you haven't already.
Jang Bong-hwan is the arrogant head chef of the President's Blue House who gets trapped in the body of a woman (Shin Hye Sun) from the Joseon era when he accidentally falls into a swimming pool from his balcony — and not just any woman. She's set to become the queen to King Cheol-jong (Kim Jung-hyun).
Follow the antics of Mr. Queen as she (or he) tries to devise ways to get back to her world while trying to follow the strict decorum and protect herself from treachery in the palace. Amidst all that, love unexpectedly blossoms between the King and Queen. It's not your average period drama too - cue plenty of comical moments and modern-day pop culture references.
Available on Viu.
Crime and action meet comedy and romance with this upcoming series starring Song Joong-ki as Park Joo-Hyeong, who grew up in Italy after getting adopted at the age of eight. Going by the name of Vincenzo Casano, he works as a consigliere to an Italian mafia, but has to return to South Korea after a series of mafia wars. Back in Korea, he meets Hong Cha-young (Jeon Yeo-bin), an attorney who will do anything to win a case, and falls in love.
But he also encounters some odd neighbours and gets embroiled in a fight against a formidable opponent. The pair develop a romance while pursuing justice together.
'Vincenzo' is slated to air on Netflix on Feb 20, 2021, with new episodes out every Saturday and Sunday at 10pm.
Popular Korean idols Kim Myung-soo, known professionally as L, and Kwon Na-ra of ‘Itaewon Class’ fame star is this historical drama set at the end of the Joseon era. The plot follows protagonist Sung Yi-gyeom (Kim Myung-soo), a smart delinquent who is inadvertently chosen to become a royal secret agent.
Watch the sparks fly between Yi-gyeom and Hong Da-in (Kwon Na-ra) as they uncover sinister plots and seek to uphold justice in the royal court embroiled in politics and corruption.
Available on iQIYI, with new episodes every Monday and Tuesday at 8.30pm.
Starring rising star Nam Joo-hyuk as well as Han Ji-min, this touching tale is a Korean adaptation of a 1985 Japanese novel by Seiko Tanabe. Directed by acclaimed director Kim Jong-kwan, it follows the story of Young Seok, a university student nearing graduation who comes across a woman who has fallen from her wheelchair and introduces herself as Josee (Han Ji-min).
After helping her home, the pair get to know each other and develop a friendship which slowly turns into an unforgettable romance.
Available on iQIYI.
Based on a popular 2017 web novel called “Sunbae, Don’t Put On That Lipstick”, the storyline of this office rom-com revolves around the marketing team of a cosmetics brand, and in particular, the relationship of Yoon Song-A (Won Jin-a) and her younger colleague, Chae Hyun-Seung (Ro Woon aka Kim Seok-woo).
He's drawn to her, but she rebuffs his advances as she's not typically into younger men. Will he finally win the heart of his sunbae (senior)?
Available on iQIYI, with new episodes released every Monday and Tuesday at 8pm.
This romantic comedy is about a high school girl Im Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young), who was often bullied for being 'ugly'. After mastering the art of make-up from video tutorials, she draws the attention of everyone at her new school, and as luck (or rom-coms) would have it, two heartthrobs who happen to be ex-best friends (Cha Eun-woo and Hwang In-yeop) - all while trying to hide her bare face from everyone.
It recently just ended its 16-episode run, so you can go on a full-on marathon without having to wait for the next episode. Sure, it's about high school romance (and of course, a love triangle), but the series' hilarious, warm and sometimes heart-wrenching moments will keep you glued to the screen.
Available on Viu.
Taking on the style of a mockumentary, this series navigates the lives of singletons in their late twenties to thirties.
The spotlight is cast on heartthrob Ji Chang-wook, best known for historical drama Empress Ki, who plays a passionate architect whose heart (and camera) is stolen by a free-spirited woman under the alias of Yoon Seon-a (played by rom-com darling Kim Ji-won), after a beachside romance. But she's really Lee Eun-oh, a freelance marketer who lives an ordinary life.
The rest of the storyline also follows Choi Kyung-joon (Kim Min-seok), another architect and Seo Rin-yi (So Joo-yeon) who appear to be a steady couple, Kang Geon (Ryu Kyung-soo), a 29-year-old novelist with the tendency of falling in love with the women he dates, and Oh Sun-young (Han Ji-eun), a gym teacher, a 'serial dater' by self admission.
Available on Netflix.
Just aired in December last year, this romance drama features the unlikeliest of pairings — actors Im Si-wan and Shin Se-kyung share the screen as Ki Seon-gyeom, a top sprinter turned sports agent with a cool demeanour, and the latter as Oh Mi-joo, a young film subtitle translator.
After leaving the track and meeting Oh Mi-joo, she opens his eyes to what he never saw as a runner. Meanwhile, she's drawn to Seon-gyeom, and believes they're destined to be together.
Available on Netflix.