Romance is a genre in cinema that inspires and teaches a lot of people to love their counterparts, setting perfect examples after taking cues from similar experiences in real life. However, this genre is celebrated very differently among different film industries around the globe. Talking about the two major film industries, Bollywood depicts romance through the medium of music and displays intense emotions through its cinema, while Hollywood is somewhat practical and straightforward yet successful in portraying romance in the most compassionate way.
On the contrary, there’s the South Korean Film Industry that blends the nature of both Hollywood and Bollywood while creating its own perfect marvels of romantic pieces through its vast range of romantic movies. Hence, after the success of sharing the most intense South Korean crime thrillers of all time, we are up again with the top fascinating South Korean romantic movies for you to cherish.
Best South Korean Romantic Movies
The Classic (2003)
Original Title : Keulraesik
The Classic is a 2003 South Korean romantic drama featuring the love stories of mother and daughter simultaneously. However, the mother’s love story is set in flashbacks. It is a beautifully crafted story with some sad sequences that would make you cry, but with a magical ending that would make you believe in true love.
My Sassy Girl (2001)
Original Title : Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo
My Sassy Girl is a lighthearted romantic comedy with some emotional quotients neatly blended into the romantic saga. Being one of the highly successful Korean comedy of all time, My Sassy Girl is also cherished in many South East Asian countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The movie is so highly praised in these regions such that it often draws comparisons to Titanic.
Il Mare (2000)
Original Title: Siworae
II Mare is a mystic love story set around a seaside house named II Mare, which means Sea in Italian. The story is about two young people who, in spite of being living in different timelines set 2 years apart, communicate with each other through the mailbox of II Mare. The movie has some interesting twists and turns that make you wonder sometimes, but in the end, it makes you believe in love all over again. The success of the film can be anticipated from the fact that it was officially remade by Hollywood in 2006 as The Lake House starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
A Moment to Remember (2004)
Original Title : Nae meorisokui jiwoogae
A Moment to Remember is a 2004 South Korean romantic drama inspired from a 2001 Japanese television drama titled Pure Soul. The movie talks about the limits one can go for love and tries to send us a message that one shouldn’t let go of their loved ones until there’s hope. The film was a major hit in South Korea and eventually set records at the Japanese box office as well.
My Girl and I (2005)
Original Title : Parang-juuibo
A remake of Japanese film Crying Out Love, In The Center of the World and based on the novel Socrates in Love by Kyoichi Katayama, My Girl and I is a South Korean romantic saga released in 2005. The story is about a young couple who were destined to be together, but the fate had something different planned for them. The film is an emotional fable about young innocent love that lives for eternity even though the lovers may not.
Too Beautiful to Lie (2004)
Original Title : Geunyeoreul midji maseyo
Too Beautiful to Lie is a 2004 South Korean romantic comedy between a beautiful ex-con and a naive village pharmacist who meet each other on a train. However, both were headed to their respective destinations, the fate brings them together in the middle of confusions, lies, and misunderstandings. Eventually, they fall for each other as they get to know each other. The movie is a must watch for its excellent comedy and beautiful chemistry between the two main protagonists of the film.
Also read : Best South Korean Crime Thriller Movies
Sad Movie (2005)
Original Title : Saedeu mubi
Made with a star-studded cast, Sad Movie is a 2005 South Korean romantic melodrama that shares the romance and love between people from different walks of life. The movie tries to define the concept of love in different ways to the audience by sharing pretty examples through the characters in the film. Although, the title says Sad Movie, the movie is not completely heartbreaking.
I’m a Cyborg, But That’s ok (2006)
Original Title : Ssa-i-bo-geu-ji-man-gwen-chan-a
I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay is a 2006 romantic comedy that depicts the love and understanding between two institutionalized young people at a psychic institute. The film tries to relate between two people, who in spite of suffering from different types of psychic problems can connect and understand each other. Although, it finds a spot in our list of best romantic films in South Korea, the film is somewhat dark and odd to be classified as a romantic film. Being said that it is a must watch to see a different type of romance and bond of love that you must not have seen or experienced before.
200 Pound Beauty (2006)
Original Title : Minyeo-neun goerowo
200 Pound Beauty is a 2006 South Korean romantic musical comedy based on a Japanese Manga titled Kanna’s Big Success by Yumiko Suzuki. The movie talks about self-realization that the true beauty is on the inner side rather than the exterior body. The movie also reflects the fact that true love is all about accepting you as you are in reality because, when someone wants to change you as per their convenience in the name of love, he or she doesn’t love your true self. The movie earned many accolades from both the audiences and critics and was one of the biggest hits of 2006.
Cyrano Agency (2010)
Original Title : Si-ra-no; Yeon-ae-jo-jak-do
Based on an 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano Agency is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy that features around a dating agency that’s meant to help customers win the hearts of people they desire. The story takes an interesting twist when a customer hires the dating agency to win the heart of a young woman, who happens to be the ex-girlfriend of the owner of the dating agency. However, things don’t turn out as planned and the love rekindles between the owner and his ex-girlfriend.
Finding Mr. Destiny (2010)
Original Title : Kim-jong-wook-chat-gi
Finding Mr. Destiny, as the title suggests, is a 2010 South Korean romantic Film about the search for Mr. Destiny. The film is actually a movie adaptation of 2006 musical and talks about the story a young girl who can’t overcome her first youthful affair and sets off on a journey to find her first love with the help of an agency run by a young man who also happens to be single. Things are pretty smooth while they are looking for Mr. Destiny, however, it gets interesting when the young man falls for the leading lady in the movie. Will they find Mr. Destiny or will they be a couple is what forms the rest of the story?
Late Autumn (2010)
Original Title : Man-choo
The 2010 film, Late Autumn is kind of special movie on the list as it is the fourth Remake of the long lost 1966 classic with the same title which itself displays the fan following towards the plot of the movie. The movie is about a young convicted Chinese immigrant girl, who is offered a 72-hour parole to see her parents in Seattle and a South Korean man-on-the-run, who befriends her while on the journey. It tells us an innocent love story building around the two main protagonists and how they overcome the hurdles that fate has set for them.
Penny Pinchers (2011)
Original Title : Ti-kkeul-mo-a ro-maen-seu
Penny Pinchers is interesting 2011 South Korean romantic comedy based on the art of Penny-Pinching. The story is about two young people who are totally distinctive in nature but come together to fulfill needs of one another. The boy is out of money and has been cut out for finances by her mom that leads him to get evicted from his apartment for not being able to pay rent while the girl is an expert penny pincher, who believes in saving rather than wasting money on luxuries of life in order to reach her goal of saving US$ 20 million. The things get pretty interesting when the two come together to help each other out towards their respective goals.
Spellbound (2011)
Original Title : O-ssak-han yeon-ae
Spellbound is a 2011 horror, a romantic comedy that portrays the love story of a magician and a woman who can see ghosts. The whole movie is about the igniting love between the two main protagonists, who have to fight against the odds of their distinctive life. They also face the antics of the vengeful ghost of the girl’s best friend, who is jealous of their budding love. Owing to the distinctive nature of the love story, the movie became one of the highest-grossing movies of 2011 in South Korea.
Whatcha Wearin’? (2012)
Original Title : Na-eui PS pa-teu-neo
Whatcha Wearin’? is a 2012 South Korean romantic comedy that features an interesting love story that ignites after an accidental call that ends up in phone sex. A woman trying to spice up her romantic life with her boyfriend, accidentally call another man and ends up having phone sex with him. After their phone sex, they talk furthermore casually and shares their relationship problems with one another and eventually start falling for each other. The fate of their strongly building relationship is what forms the rest of the story.
The list of romantic South Korean films is long and can’t be limited to top 10 or 15 lists. So, here are 2 bonus movies that deserve to be among the top South Korean romantic films of all time.
Bonus #1 – My Scary Girl (2006)
Original Title : Dal-kom, sal-beol-han yeon-in
My Scary Girl is a 2006 South Korean romantic black comedy that features an interesting love story of a shy boy and a mysterious girl. Well, the movie starts off as a normal romantic love story where a boy meets a girl and both fall in love. However, the things take an ugly twist when the boy finds out the sinister side of his girlfriend and becomes scared of her. The interesting plot of the movie hits off well with the audience and though after a slow start becomes a sleeper hit at the South Korean box office.
Bonus #2 – Always (2011)
Original Title : Ohjik geudaeman
Always is a beautiful romantic South Korean film that shares an emotional love story between an ex-boxer with a dark past and a high-spirited but blind telemarketer, who meet each other accidentally when the girl mistakes the guy for another friend. Both their lives change after they meet and eventually fall for each other. However, the fate has something different planned for their budding love story and the rest of the movie is about how they cope up with the hurdles life throws at their end. Owing to the success of the movie, a Bollywood remake of Always in Hindi is scheduled to release in 2016 titled Do Lafzon Ki Kahaani starring Randeep Hooda and Kajal Aggarwal.
Your Turn!
Share, Your favorite South Korean Romantic Movies from the list or you can share some other missing Romantic Movies from South Korea.
