10 Swoon-Worthy Moments in K Drama: Lee Gon's Rescue, Vincenzo's Return, and More

This love month, we take you back to some of the most unforgettable romantic scenes in the Korean drama world

Korean drama has significantly evolved over the years. From the simple Cinderella-like love stories and beautifully executed saeguks (historical dramas), the shows released over the last decade have impressively transformed, giving us the most jaw-dropping plots and a glimpse of stylised Korean culture and society worthy of international recognition and following. These dramas have given us the escape we needed especially amid the chaos brought about by the current global health crisis. They allow us to virtually travel to places, get inspired to overcome great odds with the not-your-ordinary-rags-to-riches plots, and laugh with nicely written satirical or straightforward slapstick humour that are often used to diffuse a nerve-racking situation (such as in dark comedies).

But what universally keep viewers glued to the screens are the swoon-worthy storylines almost every drama has one way or another. Unlike Western love stories, romance in K-dramas is not primarily built on physical interaction but focuses on the emotional bond that flourishes between the lead characters episode after episode. Needless to say, in Korean dramas, the kisses, hugs, and even intimacy are just side dishes to a love story built upon sincerity and deep connection cultivated as the plot progresses.

Here, we list down some of our favourite romantic scenes in Korean drama land for you to indulge in this love month.

1. Saving the future Queen, "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020)

What does it take for someone to prove his love? For Emperor Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho) in The King: Eternal Monarch, it takes an entire nation, activating all the Royal Guards, the infantry and cavalry units, the palace's helicopters, the entire SWAT team, and the police force in the fictional Republic of Corea in order to save his future Queen, Jeong Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun). If you aren’t impressed yet, he is also willing to open all doors to all parallel universes as well as to time travel just to spend time with her. Oh, and did we mention he, the King, cooked a meal for her, prepping ingredients and washing rice looking all handsome in his white naval uniform? If this isn’t love then we don’t know what is.

2. Coffee break, "Snowdrop" (2021-2022)

In the case of the controversial period drama Snowdrop, the most tickling scene between North Korean spy Lim Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in) and Eun Yeong-ro (Kim Jisoo) happened in the mysterious attic of Hosu Women's University. Feeling down with everything that's happening around them—a hostage-taking crisis that went out of control, betrayals, revelations, an election scheme, and an endless tug of war between the North and the South—Yeong-ro and Soo-ho went to their secret hideaway for a quick breather, aiming to escape the chaos they are in at least momentarily.

Yeong-ro prepared coffee using her old-fashioned siphon brewer, and with every sip, the playful daughter of the director of Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) said, "all bad memories will be erased". The two took turns "erasing" their bad memories until finally, after 11 episodes filled with accidental side glances and hand grazes, Soo-ho had the courage to kiss Yeong-ro for the first time. Well, what happens in the attic, stays in the attic, yes?

3. Surprise visit, "Our Beloved Summer" (2021-2022)

In this year's most talked-about coming-of-age rom-com, Our Beloved Summer, Choi Ung (Choi Woo-shik) and Kook Yeon-su (Kim Da-mi) took us on a roller-coaster ride from when they first became official ten years ago to the time they met again after their painful breakup and finally try to rebuild their relationship from where they stopped. While it's a light drama with occasional tear-jerking punches, we can't deny the fact that our world stopped when Ung surprised Yeon-su with his unannounced return to South Korea in the final episode. Not only that; he finally uttered the words Yeon-su has been waiting for. This happened after they both gave each other space to grow and realise their respective goals in life.

4. From best friends to lovers, "Hospital Playlist 2"

Above Chae Song-hwa confessing her love for Lee Ik-jun in "Hospital Playlist 2". Photo: tvN

In season one of Hospital Playlist, Lee Ik-jun (Jo Jung-suk) left Chae Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do) a question we would never forget, which, the latter attempted to answer in the early part of season two. However, without them explicitly saying how they feel for each other, their actions obviously show otherwise.

As the saying goes, true love waits and lo and behold, after 23 episodes, Song-hwa finally gave in, confessing her true feelings for her long-time best friend Ik-jun, inside the car while having coffee on a rainy night. Such a slow burn but it was all worth it.

5. See you in Malta, "Vincenzo" (2021)

While Vincenzo, the sixth highest-rated drama in tvN's history, highlights many tickle-inducing scenes between lead characters Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong-ki) and Hong Cha-young (Jeon Yeo-been) that leave us smitten, the most memorable is still the finale when the two meet again after an intense build up of action and emotions throughout the 20-episode series.

The dashing Italian mafia consigliere returns to South Korea after fleeing to Malta to briefly meet his partner-in-crime. As they catch up, the world stops when Vincenzo takes a step forward, literally and figuratively, while Seoul's stunning Dongdaemun Design Plaza glistens and John Park's I'm Always By Your Side plays in the background.

6. A visitor from the North, "Crash Landing on You" (2019-2020)

For many, the drama series Crash Landing on You was their entry point to the fantastic world of Korean dramas, instantly engulfing them completely into the complicated, albeit inspiring, North-and-South love affair of Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) and chaebol heiress Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin). While the third highest-rated South Korean TV drama in cable television history is peppered with blush-worthy scenes—both cute and exhilarating—one that captured our hearts is when Se-ri, while wandering the streets of Seoul trying to take her mind off her North Korean sweetheart, finally gets reunited with Captain Ri as he comes to the South unannounced. The slow-mo moment on a snowy night left us breathless. Beautiful.

7. Fire and ice, "Hometown Cha Cha Cha"

The firsts are always special and in the case of Hometown Cha Cha Cha's #SikHye couple, viewers will never forget the first time they opened up themselves to each other in the fourth episode, when Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho) cools down Yoon Hye-jin's (Shin Min-a) face with his hands while they're drinking together in Du-sik's house. As we know, Du-sik has issues showing his real feelings following a tragic past but in this scene, this reservation is overshadowed with his growing attraction for the pragmatic dentist. And it was just the beginning of what would be one of the most phenomenal love teams in K-drama history.

8. Love in his eyes, "Something in the Rain" (2018)

Above Seo Joon-hee stares at Yoon Jin-ah with so much love in his eyes in "Something in the Rain". Photo: Netflix

The 2018 series Something in the Rain gave us more than just a romantic storyline as it defied various taboos in South Korean society such as in dating, in family and in the workplace. It is also one of the perfect examples of how Koreans centre love stories on the sincerity of the characters' feelings instead of on mere physical interaction. In one of the episodes, Seo Joon-hee (Jung Hae-in) is caught on camera staring at Yoon Jin-ah (Son Ye-jin), his eyes filled with much adoration for his girlfriend who's four years his senior. That simple glance is more than enough to melt our hearts.

9. Recharging, "Doom at Your Service" (2021)

Another scene that Korean drama fans can't get over is when Myul Mang (Seo In-guk), the messenger who brings doom to the world, tries to ease the sick Tak Dong-kyung's (Park Bo-young) pains by "recharging" (or simply holding) her hand. Let's admit it, we all want to have an "on-call human charger" to keep our spirits up anytime, don't we?

10. The ship has sailed, "Hospital Playlist 2" (2021)

While Hospital Playlist left a lot of unanswered questions in season one, it did not fail to compensate in season two, giving us a juicy continuation of the interesting lives of our well-loved '99ers.

In the first episode alone, viewers got a sweet dose of Winter Garden love saga, with Ahn Jeong-won (Yoo Yeon-seok) surprising Jang Gyeo-ul (Shin Hyun-been) with a back-hug while waiting in front of Yulje Medical Center one snowy evening. As they try to hide the real status of their relationship from their peers, the two sneak out of their workplace to go on secret dates. They are just too cute to look at, don't you agree?

Tatler Asia

10 of the Most Swoon-Worthy Moments in K-Drama Land