Best Kdrama Romance Series: 21 Romantic Korean Dramas and Where to Watch Them in India

The best kdrama romance series to start with are Crash Landing on You, Goblin, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Reply 1988 and Queen of Tears. Most of them stream on Netflix in India, while Lovely Runner is free with ads on Amazon MX Player. Pick by mood: rom-com, slow-burn melodrama, fantasy, office romance or first love.

A great kdrama romance does something most Indian TV romances skip. It takes 16 hour-long episodes to build one relationship, glance by glance, and then lets the ending land. That patience is why romance K-dramas have such a loyal fan base in India, from college hostels to family WhatsApp groups.

This guide ranks 21 romantic Korean dramas worth your time. We grouped them by sub-genre, checked episode counts and Indian streaming platforms, and added mood-based picks so you can choose in under a minute. Availability below is for India as of October 2026, based on JustWatch India and platform listings.

Best kdrama romance series: master list with where to watch in India

Here is the full list in one place. Episode counts are for the main broadcast run, without specials. Platforms are the services JustWatch India listed for each title in October 2026.

Best kdrama romance series and where to watch in India

Drama	Year	Episodes	Leads	Where to watch in India
Crash Landing on You	2019	16	Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin	Netflix
Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)	2016	16	Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook	Netflix; Amazon MX Player (free with ads)
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha	2021	16	Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho	Netflix
Twenty-Five Twenty-One	2022	16	Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk	Netflix
Business Proposal	2022	12	Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong	Netflix
Queen of Tears	2024	16	Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won	Netflix
Lovely Runner	2024	16	Byeon Woo-seok, Kim Hye-yoon	Amazon MX Player; Prime Video (free with ads)
Our Beloved Summer	2021	16	Choi Woo-shik, Kim Da-mi	Netflix
Reply 1988	2015	20	Lee Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum, Ryu Jun-yeol	Netflix
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay	2020	16	Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Ye-ji	Netflix
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim	2018	16	Park Seo-joon, Park Min-young	Netflix; Prime Video; MX Player
Descendants of the Sun	2016	16	Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo	Netflix; JioHotstar; ZEE5
Extraordinary Attorney Woo	2022	16	Park Eun-bin, Kang Tae-oh	Netflix
King the Land	2023	16	Lee Jun-ho, Im Yoon-ah	Netflix
When the Phone Rings	2024	12	Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin	Netflix
Love Next Door	2024	16	Jung Hae-in, Jung So-min	Netflix
Start-Up	2020	16	Bae Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Seon-ho	Netflix
Strong Woman Do Bong-soon	2017	16	Park Bo-young, Park Hyung-sik	Netflix; ZEE5
Something in the Rain	2018	16	Son Ye-jin, Jung Hae-in	Netflix; Amazon MX Player
My Demon	2023	16	Song Kang, Kim Yoo-jung	Netflix
When Life Gives You Tangerines	2025	16	IU, Park Bo-gum	Netflix

Catalogues shift often, so tap through to JustWatch India before you start a series. For more cross-language binge lists, our best web series guide covers Indian and global shows too.

What makes a kdrama romance different?

Korean romances usually run as limited series. One season, one story, one ending. As a result, writers plan the full arc in advance, so the slow build actually pays off.

The romance also moves slowly on purpose. A first hug can arrive in episode 8, and a kiss might take even longer. However, the tension in the meantime is the whole point.

Finally, most romantic Korean dramas mix genres. A kdrama romance can be a military drama, a legal show or a time-travel fantasy at the same time. That is why we sorted this list by sub-genre rather than rank alone.

Slow-burn melodrama: the kdrama romance shows that hurt in the best way

These are the big, emotional ones. Expect obstacles, families who disapprove and at least one episode that needs a tissue box.

1. Crash Landing on You (2019): the kdrama romance that converted India

A South Korean heiress paraglides into a storm and lands in North Korea. There, a stoic army captain, played by Hyun Bin, hides her while plotting her escape. Son Ye-jin is sharp and funny as Yoon Se-ri, so the show never feels like a damsel story.

Writer Park Ji-eun balances comedy from the village soldiers with genuine danger. For many Indian viewers, this was the first kdrama romance they finished. It holds around 8.7/10 on IMDb, and the leads married in real life in 2022.

2. Queen of Tears (2024)

Also written by Park Ji-eun, this one follows a married couple whose relationship has gone cold. Then the wife, a chaebol heiress, receives a grave diagnosis. Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won play the couple, and their chemistry carries a plot that swings between corporate war and family comedy.

It is long and melodramatic in parts. Even so, the marriage-first angle makes it unusual among romance K-dramas, which usually stop at the wedding.

3. Something in the Rain (2018)

Son Ye-jin plays a woman in her thirties who falls for her best friend’s younger brother, played by Jung Hae-in. The first half is warm and quietly romantic. Later, family resistance takes over, so expect realism rather than wish fulfilment.

4. Descendants of the Sun (2016)

Song Joong-ki plays a special forces captain and Song Hye-kyo a surgeon. They meet in Seoul, separate, then reunite in a fictional war-torn country. The series, co-written by Kim Eun-sook, became a pan-Asian hit and shaped what a modern kdrama romance looks like.

It is also one of the easiest to find in India, with listings on Netflix, JioHotstar and ZEE5.

5. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)

A psychiatric ward caregiver meets a children’s book author with antisocial traits. Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji lead a darker, fairy-tale-styled story about trauma and care.

6. When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025)

IU and Park Bo-gum lead a lifelong love story set on Jeju Island. It follows a couple across decades, from youth to old age. Because it spans generations, it plays like a family saga as much as a romance, and older viewers often connect with it most.

7. When the Phone Rings (2024)

A presidential spokesperson and his sign-language interpreter wife live in a cold arranged marriage. Then a kidnapper’s call forces them to communicate. Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin turn a thriller set-up into a slow-burn love story across just 12 episodes.

Romantic comedies: light, funny and easy to binge

Pick these when you want laughs and comfort. The stakes stay low, and the leads usually get together well before the finale.

8. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

A Seoul dentist opens a clinic in a seaside village and keeps clashing with Hong Du-sik, the local handyman everyone relies on. Shin Min-a and Kim Seon-ho are both charming, while the village ensemble gives the show its heart. It is the closest thing to a kdrama romance comfort blanket.

9. Strong Woman Do Bong-soon (2017)

Park Bo-young plays a petite woman with superhuman strength, hired as a bodyguard by a gaming CEO, played by Park Hyung-sik. A crime subplot runs alongside the romance. However, the slapstick and their banter are why people rewatch it.

10. Love Next Door (2024)

Two childhood friends, raised as neighbours, reconnect after she returns from the US. Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min keep the friends-to-lovers tone breezy. Meanwhile, side plots about career burnout and parental expectations feel very relatable for Indian twenty-somethings.

Office romance K-dramas: workplace sparks and boss banter

Office romance is its own sub-genre in Korea. It thrives on power gaps, contract deals and colleagues who notice everything.

11. Business Proposal (2022): a short kdrama romance for beginners

An employee goes on a blind date in her friend’s place, planning to scare the man off. Unluckily, the date is her new CEO. Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong play it broad and funny, and at 12 episodes it is the quickest full kdrama romance on this list.

12. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)

A narcissistic vice-chairman panics when his flawless secretary announces she is quitting after nine years. Park Seo-joon’s self-obsessed performance is comic gold, and Park Min-young matches him.

13. King the Land (2023)

A hotel heir who cannot stand fake smiles meets an employee who smiles for a living. Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah keep it glossy and pleasant. Critics found the plot thin, yet it became popular with Indian audiences, helped by a Hindi audio option on Netflix.

14. Start-Up (2020)

Set in a Seoul tech incubator, Start-Up follows Bae Suzy’s character as she tries to launch a company. A love triangle with Nam Joo-hyuk and Kim Seon-ho split fans into loud camps.

15. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Primarily a legal drama, this follows an autistic lawyer, played by Park Eun-bin, at a big Seoul firm. The romance with Kang Tae-oh’s character is a subplot, but it is gentle and respectful.

Fantasy romance: kdrama romance with a supernatural twist

These shows add immortals, demons or time travel. The rules can get complicated, so it helps to watch without skipping.

16. Goblin (2016)

Gong Yoo plays a 939-year-old immortal who needs a human bride to end his curse. Kim Go-eun plays the high schooler who can see him, while Lee Dong-wook’s Grim Reaper steals scenes. Written by Kim Eun-sook, Goblin is lush, funny and tragic in equal parts.

The age-gap set-up bothers some viewers, so go in aware. Still, it remains a landmark fantasy kdrama romance with one of the best soundtracks of the decade.

17. Lovely Runner (2024)

A devoted fan travels back in time to save her favourite singer, who died young. Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon lead a time-loop story that is equal parts comedy and heartbreak. In India, it streams free with ads on Amazon MX Player, which makes it the cheapest entry point on this list.

18. My Demon (2023)

A demon loses his powers to a chaebol heiress and enters a contract marriage with her to get them back. Song Kang and Kim Yoo-jung lean fully into the fantasy-glam style.

First love and youth: the most rewatchable romantic Korean dramas

These stories are about growing up as much as falling in love. They reward patience with some of the strongest endings in the genre.

19. Reply 1988 (2015)

Five families share an alley in 1980s Seoul. Lee Hye-ri plays Deok-sun, and the mystery of who she marries runs through 20 episodes. Director Shin Won-ho makes the neighbourhood feel lived-in, and the family scenes often hit harder than the romance.

It holds around 9.0/10 on IMDb. However, episodes run long, so it is not ideal as your first kdrama romance.

20. Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)

Set during the 1998 IMF crisis, it follows a teenage fencer and a young man whose family went bankrupt. Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk capture youthful hope beautifully. The ending divided fans, so treat it as a coming-of-age story first.

21. Our Beloved Summer (2021)

Exes who broke up after school are forced back together when their old documentary goes viral. Choi Woo-shik and Kim Da-mi give one of the most natural on-screen pairings in recent years. It is a quiet, grown-up second-chance romance.

Pick a kdrama romance by mood

Not sure where to start? Match the show to how you feel tonight.

Pick a kdrama romance by mood

Your mood	Watch this	Why it fits
Need a laugh after a long day	Business Proposal	Short, silly and fast-paced
Want a comfort watch	Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha	Seaside village, warm ensemble
Ready to cry	When Life Gives You Tangerines	A lifetime love story with family loss
Want epic, cinematic love	Crash Landing on You	High stakes, big settings, great leads
Feeling nostalgic	Reply 1988	Family, friendship and 80s Seoul
Want something magical	Goblin	Immortals, reapers and fate
Want romance plus suspense	When the Phone Rings	Thriller hook, cold marriage thaws
Missing an ex	Our Beloved Summer	Honest second-chance story
Want a strong heroine	Strong Woman Do Bong-soon	Superpowered lead, lots of comedy

Best romance K-dramas for first-time viewers

Your first show decides whether you stick with the genre. So we picked titles that are short, easy to follow and widely available in India.

Best kdrama romance picks for first-time K-drama viewers

Drama	Episodes	Why it works for beginners	Where to watch in India
Business Proposal	12	Short, broad comedy, no heavy backstory	Netflix
Crash Landing on You	16	Shows the full range of the genre	Netflix
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim	16	Classic tropes done with confidence	Netflix; Prime Video
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha	16	Gentle pace, lovable side characters	Netflix
Lovely Runner	16	Addictive hook and free with ads	Amazon MX Player

Avoid starting with Reply 1988 or Goblin. Both are excellent, but they need patience and some familiarity with K-drama style.

How we picked these kdrama romance shows

We did not simply copy global ranking lists. Instead, our editorial desk weighed four things for Indian viewers.

• Legal availability in India. Every pick streams on a platform listed by JustWatch India in October 2026.
• Ending quality. A kdrama romance lives or dies on its finale, so we noted divisive endings honestly.
• Range. We covered five sub-genres so the list works for different moods.
• Rewatch value. Shows that fans return to, like Reply 1988 and Crash Landing on You, ranked higher.

We left out a few famous titles, such as Boys Over Flowers, because older tropes like forced grabbing scenes have aged poorly. Similarly, we skipped shows with no clear legal option in India.

Expert tips for watching romance K-dramas in India

• Start the audio menu check early. Netflix has Hindi dubs for some Korean titles, King the Land among them. Open Audio & Subtitles to see what each show offers.
• Use subtitles over dubs when you can. Korean honorifics and wordplay carry emotion that dubs often flatten.
• Do not judge by episode 1. Most romantic Korean dramas set up the world first; episode 3 or 4 is a fairer test.
• Watch the OST. Soundtracks are part of the storytelling, so do not skip credits too quickly.
• Read endings with care. If finales worry you, check our K-drama ending explained guide after you finish, not before.

Common mistakes new viewers make

The biggest mistake is binge-watching too fast. A kdrama romance is built on anticipation, so marathoning 16 episodes in two days can blunt the payoff.

Another mistake is expecting a second season. Most of these shows are complete stories, and sequels are rare. Finally, many viewers skip the side couples, yet those subplots often hold the funniest scenes. For the wider background, the Wikipedia overview of Korean drama explains how the format and broadcast schedules work.

FAQs about kdrama romance

What is the best kdrama romance of all time?

Crash Landing on You is the most common answer, and we agree it is the best all-rounder. It mixes comedy, danger and a deeply committed love story across 16 episodes. Reply 1988 scores higher on IMDb, but it works better as a family drama with romance inside it.

Which kdrama romance should a beginner watch first?

Start with Business Proposal. It runs only 12 episodes, the comedy is easy to follow, and it streams on Netflix in India. If you want something more emotional, Crash Landing on You is the next step. Both give you a clear sense of what romantic Korean dramas do well.

Where can I watch romance K-dramas in India?

Netflix has the largest selection, including Crash Landing on You, Queen of Tears and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. Lovely Runner streams free with ads on Amazon MX Player and Prime Video. Descendants of the Sun also appears on JioHotstar and ZEE5. Check JustWatch India for current listings, because catalogues change.

Are kdrama romance shows available in Hindi?

Some are. Netflix added Hindi audio to selected Korean titles, including King the Land. Availability varies by show, so open the Audio & Subtitles menu on any episode to check. Many fans still prefer Korean audio with English subtitles, since dubs can lose tone and wordplay.

Which kdrama romance has a happy ending?

Crash Landing on You, Business Proposal, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim and Lovely Runner all end happily for the main couple. Twenty-Five Twenty-One is the one to approach carefully, because its ending split fans. Reply 1988 ends well, but not every viewer’s favourite pairing wins.

How many episodes does a typical kdrama romance have?

Most romance K-dramas run 16 episodes of roughly an hour each. Some are shorter, such as Business Proposal and When the Phone Rings at 12 episodes. Others are longer, like Reply 1988 at 20 episodes. That means a full series usually takes 12 to 20 hours to finish.

Is there a free way to watch a kdrama romance legally in India?

Yes. JustWatch India lists Lovely Runner, Goblin and Something in the Rain as free with ads on Amazon MX Player. Descendants of the Sun also appears with ads on ZEE5 and JioHotstar listings. Free tiers carry ads and can change, so confirm in the app before you start.

Which kdrama romance should you watch first?

If you want one answer, start with Crash Landing on You on Netflix. It shows everything a kdrama romance can do: humour, longing, danger and a finale that earns its tears. After that, follow your mood using the tables above.

For more streaming guides across languages, browse our best web series collection or head to TBA Daily’s OTT release and streaming coverage for what is new this week.