10 most endearing love triangles in K-dramas

The OG K-drama love triangle: Geum Jan-di (Ku Hye-sun) is an ordinary girl thrust into the elite world of Shinhwa High, where she catches the attention of F4 leader Gu Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho) and his kind, violin-playing best friend Yoon Ji-hoo (Kim Hyun-joong).

While Ji-hoo is Jan-di’s knight in shining armour—always there to comfort her and sweep her away—Jun-pyo undergoes the most growth. From an arrogant chaebol heir to a man willing to risk it all for love, he proves his devotion time and again. The emotional rollercoaster ends with Jan-di choosing Jun-pyo, despite second-lead syndrome being stronger than ever.

Winner: Gu Jun-pyo

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Technology complicates love in this dystopian romance where an app, Love Alarm, tells you if someone within ten metres has feelings for you. Kim Jojo (Kim So-hyun) finds herself between the magnetic and impulsive Hwang Sun-oh (Song Kang) and the patient, steadfast Lee Hye-young (Jung Ga-ram).

Sun-oh and Jojo have an electric, passionate romance, but the app—and some major miscommunication—pull them apart. Hye-young, who has always loved Jojo from afar, offers her stability and unwavering affection. In the end, Jojo realises that love is about choice, not just fate, and chooses Hye-young.

Winner: Lee Hye-young

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Caught in a love triangle that divided an entire fandom, Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) grows up cherishing letters written by Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk)—except they were actually penned by Han Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-ho), a sharp-tongued investor with a soft heart.

When Dal-mi finally meets the real Do-san, she falls for his awkward charm, while Ji-pyeong struggles to confess his long-buried feelings. Fans debated endlessly over who deserved her more, but in the end, Dal-mi follows her heart and chooses Do-san, breaking the hearts of second-lead lovers everywhere. This choice is still polarising to this day.

Winner: Nam Do-san

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Time travel and palace politics make this love triangle devastatingly tragic. Go Ha-jin (IU) is transported back to the Goryeo Dynasty, where she becomes Hae-soo and gets caught between two princes: the gentle, affectionate Wang Wook (Kang Ha-neul) and the brooding, misunderstood Wang So (Lee Joon-gi).

While Wook initially wins her heart, his ambition taints their love. Wang So, feared for his scarred face, proves his love through unwavering loyalty and heartbreaking sacrifice. In true tragic K-drama fashion, their love is doomed, but Wang So remains the great, tormented love of Hae-soo’s life.

Winner: Wang So (but fate had other plans)

Also read: From ‘Lovely Runner’ to ‘The Atypical Family’: How these 5 Korean dramas explore the concept of time travel

Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) is a fiery, ambitious fencer who falls for Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk), a young journalist with a heavy past. Meanwhile, Ko Yu-rim (Bona), Hee-do’s fencing rival turned best friend, harbours her own emotional conflicts.

Though Yu-rim and Yi-jin have a history, it’s Hee-do’s passionate, youthful love that takes centre stage. But as they grow older, reality proves harsher than their dreams, and Hee-do and Yi-jin part ways, making this one of the most bittersweet love triangles in K-drama history.

Winner: No one (unless you count heartbreak as a winner)

This love triangle starts with a crush but ends with “one true pairing” for the ages. Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung), a talented weightlifter, falls for her doctor, Jung Jae-yi (Lee Jae-yoon). But lurking in the background is her childhood friend, the playful and supportive Jung Joon-hyung (Nam Joo-hyuk).

As Bok-joo’s crush fades, she realises that Joon-hyung, with his unwavering support and hilarious antics, is the one who truly sees her. Their relationship blossoms into one of the most adorable, healthy romances in K-drama history.

Winner: Jung Joon-hyung

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High school love triangles hit differently, especially when you have two impossibly handsome contenders. Lim Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young) hides her bare face under layers of makeup, catching the eye of the cold but caring Lee Su-ho (Cha Eun-woo) and the bad-boy-with-a-heart Han Seo-jun (Hwang In-yeop).

Both guys love her beyond appearances, but Ju-kyung’s heart ultimately belongs to Su-ho. Seo-jun, the king of second-lead syndrome, steps aside with a broken heart and a song (literally).

Winner: Lee Su-ho

Parallel universes make love even more complicated. Emperor Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho) falls for detective Jung Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun), but Kang Shin-jae (Kim Kyung-nam), her childhood friend, has loved her all along.

While Shin-jae’s unspoken love is touching, Gon’s devotion, across dimensions, no less, makes him Tae-eul’s one true love.

Winner: Lee Gon

An alien versus a chaebol—top actress Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun) finds herself drawn to Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun), an extraterrestrial with a 400-year-old grudge against humans. Meanwhile, chaebol heir Lee Hwi-kyung (Park Hae-jin) has been hopelessly in love with her since childhood.

Despite Hwi-kyung’s devotion, Song-yi falls for Min-joon because who can compete with a love that’s out of this world?

Winner: Do Min-joon

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