The most adored K-drama couple is Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin from Crash Landing on You, followed by Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun from Goblin, according to a recent Gallup Korea survey. 1,052 persons nationwide, ages 19 to 69, participated in an online survey, which Star News conducted to commemorate its 20th anniversary.
Let’s examine the top 10 K-dramas from the past ten years.
1. Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin from Crash Landing on You
Renowned chaebol Yoon Se Ri (played by Son Ye Jin) is depressed and has a tense connection with her family. She meets Ri Jung Hyuk (played by Hyun Bin), a beautiful North Korean soldier, after she unintentionally lands in North Korea during a paragliding mishap. The two fall in love as they work through the difficulties of her unforeseen circumstance, and Jung Hyuk goes above and beyond to assist Se Ri in going back to South Korea.
2. Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun from Goblin
Kim Shin, a 900-year-old goblin that longs to find his bride and put an end to his immortality, is portrayed by Gong Yoo. As he is about to depart from this world, he meets the jovial and charming Ji Eun Tak (played by Kim Go Eun). He finds her bothersome at first, but he eventually finds himself drawn to her charm. They fall deeply in love with one other as their relationship progresses, creating a strong emotional bond.
3. Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won from Queen of Tears
Queen of Tears, starring Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won, is one of the most watched K-dramas on the platform in 2024. The series is around a couple whose marriage is about to fall apart. They attempt to mend their relationship and eventually come to terms with one another as they encounter different obstacles. The CEO of Queens Department Store, Hae In, and her husband, Queens Group’s legal director, Baek Hyun Woo, have a rocky marriage.
4. Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo from Descendants of the Sun
Song Joong Ki plays Yoo Shi Jin in Descendants of the Sun, an army captain who develops a profound romantic attachment to Song Hye Kyo’s character, Dr. Kang Mo Yeon. Their romance blossoms into something passionate and intense very quickly, despite their different origins. But Yoo Shi Jin’s hazardous work frequently puts his life in peril, which puts Mo Yeon in a difficult position as she tries to manage the hazards.
5. Lee Byung Hun and Kim Tae Ri from Mr. Sunshine
Mr. Sunshine is a potent drama that captivates audiences with its epic tale and endearing characters. It is set in the early 1800s and stars Kim Tae Ri as Go Ae Shin and Lee Byung Hun as Eugene Choi. Born into slavery, Eugene makes his way to freedom in the US before returning to Korea as a captain in the Marine Corps. He has conflicting emotions regarding his native country, which he feels obligated to defend and yet resents. Ae Shin, a Joseon Dynasty noblewoman, is a fierce rebel against the ruling class as well. Their divergent upbringings and worldviews provide a backdrop for their love tale.
6. Park Bo Gum and Lee Hyeri from Reply 1988
Choi Taek and Duk Sun are everything you could hope for in a first-love pair. Naturally, their friendship develops into a charming and intense romance. They not only have perfect mutual understanding, but they also support one another through many of life’s obstacles. They are able to be sincere and open in their relationship, which allows them to be who they really are.
7. Kang Ha Neul and Gong Hyo Jin from When the Camellia Blooms
Kang Ha Neul and Gong Hyo Jin play two lovers in a tiny town in the film When the Camellia Blooms. Hwang Yong Shik (Kang Ha Neul), mysterious and passionate, falls completely in love with both Dong Baek (Gong Hyo Jin) and her kid despite the emotional baggage she bears from her son’s father’s abandonment. Dong Baek receives consolation and support from Hwang Yong Shik’s contagious optimism, which helps her deal with the difficulties of being a single mother.
8. Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon from Lovely Runner
In the cutthroat realm of celebrity charm, Ryu Sun Jae (Byeon Woo Seok) is a renowned celebrity whose glossy exterior belies a life burdened with fatigue. Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon), a dedicated Sun Jae fan, turns to his music for solace after an injury as a kid dashed her own hopes. Sun Jae’s horrible accident breaks, breaking Sun Jae’s heart. But destiny grants her another chance by sending her back in time fifteen years, to 2008, when Sun Jae was a nineteen-year-old high school student. Sol is resolved to modify their futures while overcoming the difficulties of changing the past, seeing this as a gift from Heaven.
9. Namgoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin from My Dearest
Ahn Eun Jin plays Yoo Gil Chae, a noblewoman who longs for love after two unsuccessful marriages, while Namgoong Min plays Lee Jang Hyun, a man adamantly opposed to marriage. The series tells their moving love story during a turbulent time in Joseon history, full of personal struggles and political unrest.
10. Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung from Love in the Moonlight
Kim Yoo Jung’s character Hong Ra On makes her money by dressing like a male and serving as a romantic advisor to other men in the city. She is a skilled worker, but things get complicated when she has to turn down Master Jung’s (Ahn Se Ha) love interest—who happens to be the crown princess (Jung Hye Sung). They are unaware that Lee Young (Park Bo Gum), the princess’s brother, intervenes to resolve the matter. After a string of miscommunications, Ra On abandons Young, leaving him stuck in a pit. However, when Ra On turns into one of his eunuchs, fate draws them back together.
