Cover ‘Business Proposal’ is the perfect example of the pretend lovers trope because the plot has not one but two fake relationships (Photo: IMDB)
‘Business Proposal’ is the perfect example of the pretend lovers trope because the plot has not one but two fake relationships (Photo: IMDB)
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There’s a reason fake relationships refuse to die as a K-drama trope. They provide unmatched slow-burn tension, over-the-top romantic gestures and that swoon-worthy moment when at least one person realises they’ve gotten too deep
If there’s one thing K-dramas do better than slow-motion hair flips and dramatic wrist grabs, it’s the fake relationship trope. You know the drill: two people who have no intention of falling in love (spoiler: they absolutely will) agree to a strictly professional arrangement. Maybe it’s to save face, dodge nosey questions from overbearing family or friends or fulfil a questionable bet. Whatever the reason, what starts as a harmless charade inevitably spirals into undeniable, all-consuming feelings.
It’s an age-old formula, but K-dramas never fail to make it still captivating. From fake marriages to staged dating contracts, these stories deliver top-tier romance, ridiculous misunderstandings and swoon-worthy tension. Here are some of the best pretend relationships in K-drama history, where love was never part of the deal. Until it was.
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1. ‘Full House’ (2004)
Before fake relationships became a standard K-drama ingredient, there was Full House, the granddaddy of contract marriages gone terribly (and romantically) wrong. Han Ji-eun (Song Hye-kyo), an aspiring writer, is tricked by her so-called friends into losing her house. Enter Lee Young-jae (Rain), a famous actor who buys her home and, in a twist of romantic folly, agrees to let her stay under one condition: they get married to improve his public image.
Cue bickering, forced cohabitation and fireworks that turn into genuine sparks. Ji-eun and Young-jae are opposites in every way. She’s quirky and stubborn, he’s moody and emotionally stunted. However, their slow-burn romance remains one of the most iconic in K-drama history.
Best fake relationship moment: When they start leaving adorable sticky notes for each other around the house, proving that home isn’t just a place—it’s a person.
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2. ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019)
A fake relationship is tricky enough, but what if it also involves accidentally paragliding into North Korea? That’s the premise of Crash Landing on You, where South Korean heiress Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) quite literally crash-lands into the life of North Korean soldier Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin). To keep her safe, he pretends she’s his fiancée, and let’s just say—tension has never been this well-dressed.
Yes, the setup is highly improbable but the romance that ensues is achingly tender, emotionally devastating and filled with stolen glances that could melt steel. They start as enemies by circumstance, but their undeniable connection turns this pretend engagement into one of K-drama’s most unforgettable love stories (especially since the two leads end up marrying in real life!).
Best fake relationship moment: Se-ri moving into Jeong-hyeok’s home and single-handedly improving North Korean interior design with fairy lights, scented candles and skincare products.
Also read: It’s official! ‘Crash Landing on You’ sweethearts Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin are tying the knot today
3. ‘Business Proposal’ (2022)
If there were an Olympics for disastrous fake relationships, Business Proposal would take the gold. Broke food researcher Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong) agrees to go on a blind date pretending to be her rich best friend. Upon arrival, however, she realises her date is her company’s terrifying CEO, Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop). Instead of exposing her deception, he proposes a contract relationship to get his grandfather off his back.
What follows is pure rom-com gold: workplace awkwardness, fake anniversaries and Tae-moo catching Very Real Feelings™ way too soon. The banter is fast, the romance is electric and their accidental love story is one for the ages.
What’s more, the show’s second couple have a similar fate. Jin Young-seo (Seol In-ah), determined to escape her father’s arranged marriage plans, pretends to be in a relationship with her best friend’s secretary, Cha Sung-hoon (Kim Min-kyu). Despite starting as her fake boyfriend, Sung-hoon is entirely too good at being a real one.
Best fake relationship moment: Ha-ri attempting to be a “bad girlfriend” to scare Tae-moo off, only for him to fall even harder for her. Classic.
4. ‘Because This Is My First Life’ (2017)
What do you do when you’re broke and your only affordable housing option is with a grumpy, socially awkward landlord? If you’re Yoon Ji-ho (Jung So-min), you marry him for convenience, of course. Because This Is My First Life turns the contract marriage trope into something deeply heartfelt, following two practical strangers who fake a marriage just to survive adulting.
What makes this drama so special is its grounded, realistic portrayal of relationships. Ji-ho and Se-hee (Lee Min-ki) aren’t your typical rom-com leads: he’s emotionally repressed, while she’s fiercely independent. Their journey to real love is slow and messy but absolutely worth it.
Best fake relationship moment: When Ji-ho finally confesses her feelings, and Se-hee breaks through years of emotional walls to meet her halfway.
5. ‘Marriage, Not Dating’ (2014)
What happens when a commitment-phobic bachelor and a desperate-for-love woman pretend to be engaged? Hilarity! But also a lot of sweetness. Gong Gi-tae (Yeon Woo-jin) is sick of family pressure to settle down, so he hires Joo Jang-mi (Han Groo) to be the worst fiancée imaginable. He wants his parents to be so horrified that they give up on the idea of his marrying entirely.
Obviously, things don’t go as planned. Jang-mi is a walking disaster, Gi-tae’s carefully curated life crumbles, and somewhere between arguing, drunken confessions and fake honeymoon selfies, they fall for each other. It’s LOL, heartwarming and proof that sometimes, the best love stories start with a terrible idea.
Best fake relationship moment: Their over-the-top “public displays of affection” were designed to shock Gi-tae’s parents, but they only make their chemistry even more obvious.
6. ‘King the Land’ (2023)
Nothing screams classic K-drama like an icy chaebol heir falling for a warm, endlessly optimistic employee. King the Land delivers this dynamic with glittering rom-com perfection. Goo Won (Lee Jun-ho) is the heir to a luxury hotel empire, and Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah) is the ever-smiling concierge who somehow manages to crack his frosty exterior.
As far as fake relationships go, this one is pretty straightforward. They hatch a plan to fend off arranged marriage pressures and business rivals. However, Goo Won quickly realises he’s in way over his head. As his stoic facade melts under Sa-rang’s sunny disposition, their fake relationship transforms into something genuinely heart-fluttering.
Best fake relationship moment: Goo Won pretends to be completely indifferent to Sa-rang in public, only to soften into a lovesick fool the second she looks away.
7. ‘Perfect Marriage Revenge’ (2023)
If you love your fake relationships with a side of cold, calculated revenge, Perfect Marriage Revenge delivers. Han Yi-joo (Jung Yoo-min) gets a second chance at life and decides to rewrite her fate—starting with ditching her awful fiancé and convincing a rich, powerful CEO to marry her instead. Her new “husband” (Sung Hoon) has his own motives, and they agree to a mutually beneficial arrangement. Naturally, revenge and business deals give way to real feelings and undeniable tension.
This drama takes the contract marriage trope and infuses it with mystery, scandal and unexpected romance.
Best fake relationship moment: When Yi-joo’s ex tries to embarrass her in public, and her fake husband swoops in with an over-the-top, “protective” display of affection that is obviously way too real.
8. Love in Contract (2022)
As in Business Proposal, one pretend couple isn't enough sometimes. Love in Contract offers not one but two fake relationships. Choi Sang-eun (Park Min-young) is a professional wife-for-hire, assisting clients who need a plus-one for social appearances. Her most reliable client, the mysterious Jung Ji-ho (Go Kyung-pyo), has been “married” to her for years, but just as her contract with him nears its end, she gets a new client: superstar Kang Hae-jin (Kim Jae-young), who insists on making their arrangement public. Juggling two bogus marriages while dealing with actual romantic tension? We've seen weirder plots.
Best fake relationship moment: The subtle yet electrifying dinner scenes between Sang-eun and Ji-ho, where their silence speaks louder than words.
Also read: 8 K-dramas with the weirdest plots
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