Sometimes, a K-drama isn’t all that, but we can’t look away because of the couple that has insane on-screen chemistry. Finding a K-drama couple with intense chemistry might feel different from watching a show made in the UK or US, for example, as K-dramas typically feature slow-burn romances and tropes like friends-to-lovers or even enemies-to-lovers.
The 10 best K-drama couples that have exceptional on-screen chemistry are special because of how naturally they portray falling in love, whether through acts like subtle glances or actual passionate embraces. Some of them were even couples in real life, showing that the chemistry was obvious to more than just the casting director or the viewers.
10
Kim Tan and Cha Eun-sang — ‘The Heirs’ (2013)
Played by Lee Min-ho and Park Shin-hye
The Heirs is one of the cult classics of K-drama, famous for so many things, most notably for contributing to the Korean Wave of the 2010s, making its international audience much larger than the domestic one. It also propelled Lee Min-ho to further fame, though the end of the 2000s and the start of the 2010s were very much his years. In The Heirs, Lee plays a couple with Park Shin-hye, and their dynamic is off the charts.
The Heirs is about high school students attending an elite high school where most of their parents are super-rich. The show depicts Kim Tan (Lee) meeting Cha Eun-sang (Park) while in the US, and their encounter leaves them smitten with each other. After returning to Korea, Tan realizes Eun-sang attends the same school, and their relationship progresses with hindrance from outside influences. Despite the melodramatic plot, the push-and-pull dynamic between the two and their emotional scenes create undeniable sparks that are hard to stop watching.
9
Seo Jung-hoo and Chae Young-shin — ‘Healer’ (2014–2015)
Played by Ji Chang-wook and Park Min-young
Healer is another iconic K-drama that won people over because of a couple of things, from its intricate and engaging plot to the intense chemistry between Ji Chang-wook and Park Min-young. The drama was moderately well accepted in South Korea, but it gained widespread international acclaim and propelled Ji to superstardom. He portrays a stoic and highly skilled man who is as mysterious as he is caring; this role was perfect for him.
In Healer, Seo Jung-hoo (Ji), also known as Healer, is a man who uses his special skillset and works with a hacker to do “favors” for people who hire him. When Jung-hoo decides to retire, he gets a job to protect a young and ambitious second-rate news reporter, Chae Young-shin (Park). As they get to the bottom of a deep conspiracy from the past, Healer and Young-shin develop feelings. Besides Healer being a great show, the protagonists’ slow-burning romance and protective dynamic create some tense and beautiful chemistry that fans still talk about, so many years later.
8
Sa Hye-jun and Ahn Jeong-ha — ‘Record of Youth’ (2020)
Played by Park Bo-gum and Park So-dam
Record of Youth is a charming K-drama that elevates the slice-of-life genre with the realistic chemistry between its leads, Park Bo-gum and Park So-dam. The show does a great job of capturing the Gen Z and millennial mentality, and the K-drama is still praised for great writing and realistic, relatable characters. Record of Youth was also noticed by Forbes, which named it one of the best K-dramas of 2020.
Record of Youth follows three young people navigating their way through the entertainment industry: Sa Hye-jun (Park Bo-gum), an aspiring actor and model from a working-class family; Ahn Jeong-ha (Park So-dam), an aspiring makeup artist working at a salon where her boss is always pushy; and Won Hae-hyo (Byeon Woo-seok), an accomplished actor and model with a highly controlling and critical mother. The three become friends as they go through life, while Hye-jun and Jeong-ha have a natural, effortless chemistry that feels like watching a real couple navigate life together. This is a very grounded drama, so the chemistry between the leads feels grounded, too, but it’s beautiful in its simplicity.
7
Kim Shin and Ji Eun-tak — ‘Goblin’ (2016–2017)
Played by Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun
Goblin is widely believed to be one of the best K-dramas of all time. It defined the second part of the 2010s and made waves for its brilliant cast and tragic story. Gong Yoo and Lee Dong-wook both gained widespread fame after Goblin, with Lee becoming one of the most prominent K-drama actors of the time. Still, Lee’s deserved rise to superstardom isn’t the biggest takeaway from the show, but the chemistry between the leads, Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun.
Goblin follows the eponymous Goblin, aka Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), a Goryeo Dynasty military general who was cursed by a being called the Almighty. His curse is carrying a large sword in his chest for all eternity, invisible to the human eye, and the curse can be lifted by one true love. Ji Eun-tak (Kim) is a high school senior who, after a near-death experience, is able to see ghosts, including the Goblin’s sword. Though the age gap between the leads was controversial for the story, the emotional depth of their storyline created otherworldly chemistry.
Goblin
- Release Date
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December 2, 2016
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Jo Hyun-sik
Batch 21 Grim Reaper
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6
Lee Young-joon and Kim Mi-so — ‘What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim’ (2018)
Played by Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young
The office romance What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim is a bit underrated compared to other K-dramas, but this one has something quite special. It deserves all the praise and criticism it received, and it’s a drama that’s flawed but still amazing. The amazing part, though, is the chemistry between the two Parks, the leads Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young. You watch the drama and don’t really see a way for it all to end unless they end up together, which is the point of the series, after all.
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim follows the handsome, stern, and cold vice-chairman of a major corporation, Lee Young-joon (Park Seo-joon), and his loyal and trustworthy secretary, Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young). One day, Secretary Kim decides to quit and move on in life, but Chairman Lee doesn’t want anyone else to take her position. He tries everything in his power to get her to stay, and the chemistry between the two relies on the actors’ impeccable comedic timing. Besides that and the beautiful romantic tension, each scene between them crackles with chemistry.
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim
- Release Date
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June 6, 2018
- Network
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tvN
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Jo Deok-hyeon
Kim Young Man [Mi So’s father]
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-
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Lee Byung-joon
Jang Jeong Do [Fashion Designer]
5
Yoo Si-jin and Kang Mo-yeon — ‘Descendants of the Sun’ (2016)
Played by Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo
Descendants of the Sun is another highly beloved K-drama, and this one is a bit heavy. It’s about the impossible tasks of maintaining a relationship as a soldier and a doctor, two of the busiest jobs in the world. Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo portray the lead couple in the show, and their chemistry was so convincing it led to a real-life marriage later. Their flirty banter and tender moments were equally mesmerizing, and it helped that the actors were also two extremely beautiful and good-looking people. Though the actors divorced several years later, their roles in Descendants of the Sun are among their most memorable.
Descendants of the Sun follows army captain and special ops team leader Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki), who chases a thief into a hospital one day and meets a stunning doctor, Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo). The two fall for each other instantly and start dating, but Yoo’s constant dispatches to the field make the relationship difficult to maintain. When they both end up on the battlefield, they begin to understand each other more, forming a lasting bond. It’s a beautiful and powerful drama full of ups and downs, but you’ll most likely enjoy it for its electrifying leads.
4
Kang Cheol and Oh Yeon-Joo — ‘W: Two Worlds’ (2016)
Played by Lee Jong-suk and Han Hyo-joo
W: Two Worlds is a K-drama with one of the most unique premises out there, and it’s a beautifully crafted fantasy/sci-fi series that delivers on multiple planes—from the visual design, color-coding, and costumes to the intense and romantic chemistry between the leads, Han Hyo-joo and Lee Jong-suk. Their interactions are unique, since one is a comic book character and the other a real-life one, but it still works so well that people remember the drama purely because of them.
W: Two Worlds is about a surgeon, Oh Yeon-joo (Han), whose father, a famous comic book artist, suddenly disappears. When she visits his comic book studio, she gets dragged into his most famous and beloved comic named W. The protagonist of the comic is a wealthy CEO of an entertainment company and an Olympic gold medalist, Kang Cheol (Lee); when he and Yeon-joo meet, they fall in love instantly and begin the quest for her lost father. The meta-romance between a real woman and a webtoon character shouldn’t have worked, but it so does, and it’s magical.
3
Jung Joon-Hyung and Kim Bok-joo — ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo’ (2016)
Played by Nam Joo-hyuk and Lee Sung-kyung
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo is a charming and adorable K-drama that was inspired by the real-life Olympic medalist Jang Mi-ran. Though the show is purely fiction, Jang is a great inspiration to many young people, who felt the drama was brilliant in portraying the trials and tribulations of competitive sports, love, and life in general. This coming-of-age K-drama was popular among wider audiences, but its biggest fanbase is among younger and teen audiences, potentially because of heartthrob Nam Joo-hyuk as well.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo follows the titular Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung), who is an aspiring Olympian training in weightlifting on her college campus. Her best friend is Joon-hyung (Nam), and Bok-joo develops a crush on his older brother. He initially teases her, then helps her win his brother over, but eventually falls in love with her. Their friends-to-lovers storyline is adorable and full of moments that feel authentic; viewers catch themselves grinning while watching these two cuties interact, and their pure relationship even led the actors to date in real life afterward.
2
Moon Gang-tae and Ko Moon-young — ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ (2020)
Played by Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji
It’s Okay Not to Be Okay is one of the best K-dramas of the 2020s, mainly because it dared to start a discourse on mental health and differences in people with mental difficulties. The conversation around mental health was never a strong suit in South Korean shows, but more and more decide to include it in their narratives, understanding that it’s not only relevant but crucial for understanding new characters and being relatable. When those characters also have a compelling love story, the show is even more memorable.
It’s Okay Not to Be Okay follows nurse Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun), who works at his town’s local psychiatric ward. One day, a children’s book writer with antisocial personality disorder, Ko Moon-young (Seo Ye-ji), signs into the ward and the two begin bonding. While mental health advocacy stands at the forefront of the show, the intense and almost raw chemistry between Kim and Seo is another reason for its popularity. The combination of vulnerability and passion in their performances created an incredibly compelling on-screen couple that we still talk about, five years later.
1
Ri Jeong-hyeok and Yoon Se-ri — ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019–2020)
Played by Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin
By far, the most intense, believable, and touching chemistry between two leads happened in Crash Landing on You, where the collective K-drama fandom witnessed true love springing before their eyes. Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin were not only convincing as the slow-burning romantic couple, but their chemistry was so powerful it transcended the screen and led to a real-life marriage. The couple also have a child and look just as in love today as they did on the show. Crash Landing on You is, because of that, often considered the greatest rom-com K-drama of all time and generally one of the greatest to ever happen.
Crash Landing on You follows the rich Seoul-based heiress, Yoon Se-ri (Son), whose business is threatened by her ambitious brothers. While paragliding outside the city one day, she gets caught in a storm and thrown on the North Korean side of the DMZ. There, she’s found by the quiet and closed-off captain Ri (Hyun Bin), who shelters her until he finds a way to get her home. She lives there as his wife and bonds with the locals while the two develop a relationship that feels unbreakable. It’s the magic of a romantic story come to life.
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