Where there are many Korean dramas with romantic comedies, we have a list of some of the best sad love stories Korean dramas that are definitely not for weak heart people. These sad Kdramas have a strong storyline and portray the strong emotions and relationship between the couple. Most dramas that we are listing have sad endings. (the numbering is random)
1: Stairway to Heaven (2003):
This is one of those sad love stories Korean dramas where you will shed lots of tears. The story is about two childhood friends who turn into lovers but due to lots of conspiracies, they have to part ways. They meet again after many years but this time death separates them. This is a drama where there is not only one heartbreak but many people suffering. Stairway to Heaven cast includes Choi Ji-woo, Kwon Sang-woo, Kim Tae-hee and Shin Hyun-joon.
2: A Thousand Days’ Promise (2011):
A Thousand Days’ Promise is the story of a couple who are in a relationship but due to the man’s family, he gets ready to marry another woman. When he finds out that his ex-lover has a deadly disease, he breaks his engagement and marries her. They hope for a happy married life and find happiness in each other but they know death is waiting for the woman. A Thousand Day’s Promise cast includes Soo Ae and Kim Rae-won.
3: Iam Sorry, I Love You (2004):
A man who is left by his biological parents and later by his foster parents wanders on the streets of Australia. He meets a girl and her luggage is stolen. He helps the girl. Later he gets shot in the head at her ex-girlfriend wedding and doctors are unable to remove the bullet. He survives but lives with constant pain that will eventually kill him. After returning back to Korea, he comes to know that his mother is a rich woman and also has a son.
He plans revenge on her but later learns that it was not her mother’s fault. He fell in love with the girl whom he meets in Australia. He donates his heart to his brother and died while the girl also commits suicide in the end. This is one of the most popular Sad Kdramas which got many awards. The cast of this sad Korean drama includes So Ji-sub and Im Soo-jung.
4: The Light in Your Eyes (Radiant) (2019):
The drama revolves around a girl who has a special watch that she gets at a beach. Her father dies in a car accident and to prevent this, she manipulates time with her special watch. Now she has to pay a heavy price for it and that is every time she will use the watch, she will get older. Lee Joon Ha meets her as an old woman after struggling a lot with his life and their life has changed. The drama has 12 episodes.
5: Come and Hug Me (2018):
This sad Korean drama is about the tragic life of two people. Yoon Na-moo is a son of a psychopath who fell in love with Gi Nak-wo. His father murders the girl’s parents and this filled their lives with pain. Years later, they meet again, Yoo Na-moo becomes a detective and tries to make everything right. Gi Nak-wo becomes an actress but her past miserable life often gives her panic attacks. It is a romance thriller Korean drama with 32 episodes.
6: Love in Sadness (2019):
This sad love story Korean drama is about a woman who is married to an abusive and obsessive rich husband. The woman tries her best to get rid of him but always gets caught. One day she gets a chance to escape and fakes her death. She meets a plastic surgeon who changes her face and hides her identity. However, it is not easy to escape from the husband and there is a constant struggle until the end. Love in Sadness cast includes Ji Hyun-woo, Park Han-byul, Ryu Soo-young and Wang Bit-na.
7: Tree of Heaven (2006):
Tree of Heaven is a sad love story of two step-siblings who fell in love with each other. In the fear of humiliation and curses, they try their best to be close, however, the cruel world is not ready to accept them. The drama also has a sad ending but the storyline is a story that will hook you until the end. you need a big box of tissues to watch this. Tree of Heaven cast includes Park Shin Hye and Lee Wan.
8: Empress Ki (2013):
Empress Ki is the story of a woman who is not born to be defeated. She is born to rule however her love life is sad and she has to leave her first love. She gets married to a prince who loves her so much but she is unable to reciprocate his life. After a lot of emotional struggle, she finally realizes his love but still has the pain of first love. Empress Ki cast includes Ha Ji-won, Joo Jin-mo and Ji Chang Wook.
9: My Mister (2018):
My Mister is a dark and sad Korean Drama. The story is about a poor girl who struggles hard to survive in a difficult society. She has to take care of her grand mother while there is no one to help her. It portrays real-life situations. She develops a bond with her supervisor who is equally burdened by society’s pressure and older than her. My Mister cast includes Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Ji-eun.
10: The World of the Married (2020):
The World of the Married shocked the Korean entertainment industry with its strong and unique storyline. Although the drama is based on BBC series now it is more popular in Korean language. The drama depicts the story of a married woman whose life is destroyed when she finds out that her husband is cheating.
She does not sit back to watch her ruined life and takes matters into her hands. Though the love is not from both sides, this is definitely one of the sad kdramas where the woman gives her best in the marriage but still the husband cheats on her with a younger woman. This is also one of the strong female characters of Kdramas played by Kim Hee-ae. The drama cast also includes Park Hae-joon and Han So-hee.
11: Moon Lover: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016):
This is one of the sad Kdramas whose story is set in the Goryeo Dynasty when a modern day girl transfers back to that time. She is stuck between the throne war and Prince who are fighting for the throne. Her life becomes miserable when she is fell in love with one of the Princes. The Prince is not considered pure blood and everyone hate him but she is the one who cares for him. They do not have a happy ending. The story has an open and sad ending and fans are still waiting for season 2.
Though the ending suggests that the Prince has returned for her in modern times but fans wanted to see the proper ending. Moon Lovers has a huge cast including IU, Lee Joon-gi, Kang Ha-neul, Nam Joo-hyuk, Ji soo, Baekhyun and Hong Jong-hyun. This is one of the saddest Kdramas.
12: Uncontrollably Fond (2016):
Another sad love story Korean drama that will give you heartbreak is Uncontrollably Fond. The drama focuses on the life of two teenagers who are in love but separate due to some misunderstanding. Years later, they meet again in their professional lives and fell in love. However, destiny has some cruel plans for them. The drama has a sad ending and is one of the saddest Kdramas. Uncontrollably Fond cast includes Bae Suzy and Kim Woo-bin.
13: A Love to Kill (2005):
A man plans revenge on his brother ex girlfriend. He thinks she is the reason that his brother attempted to commit suicide. The girl is an actress and he plans revenge and becomes her bodyguard.
The actress fell in love with him and he humiliates her in front of the public but later finds out about her innocence in his brother’s case. The misery continues and they are stuck in a place where they cannot live together. This is the saddest Kdrama with a sad ending. A Love To Kill cast includes Rain, Shin Min-a and Lee Ki-woo.
14: The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018):
The story is about two unfortunate young people who fell in love but later find out they are siblings. Society threatens them and to save the girl from disgrace, the guy commits a heinous crime. However, he finds out that someone lied to him about the sibling thing and he is not the brother of his lover. It is a romantic crime drama that has a sad ending and the couple only meets in the form of death. The drama beautifully portrays the love emotion of a young couple. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes cast includes Jung so-min ad Seo-In-guk.
15: Nice Guy (2012):
Nice Guy is the story of a man who is betrayed by his girlfriend. The girlfriend uses him for her purpose, ruins his career and marries a rich old man. He plans revenge on her and traps her stepdaughter who is also young. The stepdaughter is innocent and makes him fall for her. Gradually he realizes that the girl is innocent and he fell in love with her kind heart. The drama has a happy ending so all is well. The Innocent Man cast includes Song Joong-ki, Moon Chae-won and Park Si-yeon.
16: Mr. Sunshine (2018):
This is one of the sad Kdramas with the heartbreaking love story of two people who belong to opposite worlds. Mr.Sunshine is a story about a man who succeeds in getting rid of slavery and reaches U.S. He comes back after a few years to Joseon in order to complete a mission. He fell in love with a girl of a rich and influential man who is also engaged in childhood. He not only has to face the wrath of rich people who humiliate him for his class difference but also because of his mission. It is one of the popular sad love story Korean dramas which has 24 episodes. The ending of the drama is also sad.
17: Snow Drop (2021-2022):
This is one of the saddest Kdramas which some people do not like because of its gloomy and tragic setting. However, some people really liked Snow Drop. The drama is set in 1987. A female student saves a young man who is covered in blood and hides him. The two get close to each other and develop a romantic bond.
However, things are not as smooth as they seem. The young man is actually a rebel who creates lots of problems later on. The female student’s heart is broken after finding out that he actually used her to gain his purpose. However, in the end, he also fell in love with her but they have a tragic ending. This Sad Korean drama has 16 episodes.
These are our sad love stories Korean dramas that have strong storylines. Do you have a strong heart to watch these sad Kdramas?
Apart from the above mentioned links, you can also watch almost all these Kdramas on Netflix.
