Cover Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) accepts an award with a pre-recorded video in the K-drama ‘Start-Up’. (Photo: screencap from ‘Start-Up’, Netflix)
Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) accepts an award with a pre-recorded video in the K-drama ‘Start-Up’. (Photo: screencap from ‘Start-Up’, Netflix)
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From awkward birthday videos to meat-inspired musicals, these unforgettable K-drama moments had us laughing, cringing and hitting replay
K-dramas can sweep us off our feet with grand romances, challenge us with sharp social commentary or move us with emotional depth. But let’s not forget one of K-drama’s greatest gifts: comedy. Whether it’s a painfully awkward self-edited video confession, a spontaneous meat-themed musical number or the kind of petty bickering only lifelong friends can get away with, these moments are laugh-out-loud funny, endlessly rewatchable and completely iconic. They’re the gifts that keep on giving—scenes that become memes, get quoted in group chats and live in viewers’ heads rent-free long after the credits roll.
Also read: 9 K-drama side characters who deserve their own spin-off series
Money scene from ‘Start-Up
After their scrappy little company, Samsan Tech, clinches first place at a major international programme developer competition, Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) accepts the award through a gloriously goofy and cringeworthy pre-recorded video that’s pure K-drama comedy gold. In it, he leaves absolutely no doubt as to what he needs from future investors when he passionately, unequivocally and candidly asks them for their money.
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Kogi song from ‘My Roommate Is a Gumiho’
Lee Dam (Girl’s Day maknae, Hyeri) is a major foodie, much like the star playing her. In this unhinged scene from the K-drama, her last remaining brain cell stages a full-blown song-and-dance number in tribute to kogi (meat), delivering a moment that’s equal parts absurd and on-brand for both the character and the actress.
Tae-sung’s birthday surprise from ‘Lovely Runner’
In the beloved time-travel K-drama, Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) surprises Kim Tae-sung (Song Geon-hee) with an embarrassing, self-edited birthday video professing her love through song and dance. The lyrics—where she dramatically rejects K-drama’s most beloved heartthrobs, including Hyun Bin, Gong Yoo and Jo In-sung, in favour of her “Prince” Tae-sung—are nothing short of legendary, cementing the scene as one of the drama’s most meme-able moments. A close runner-up? Ryu Sun-jae’s (Byeon Woo-seok) aggressive flying kisses.
Don’t miss: K-drama love language: How characters say ‘I love you’ without ever saying it
‘I have no chingu!’ scene from ‘Business Proposal’
This outrageously funny moment catapulted Seo Hye-won into breakout-star status and cemented her character as an instant fan favourite. Her pitch-perfect delivery of the now-iconic line was so memorable that fans ended up referencing it later on, when she appeared in Alchemy of Souls and Lovely Runner, joking that she’d finally found friends at last.
Elevator scene from ‘True Beauty’
The K-drama True Beauty has no shortage of hilariously unforgettable moments—Han Seo-joon (Hwang In-youp) getting caught dancing in cheetah-print boxers and Lim Joo-kyung (Moon Ga-young) grooving to “Maria” in front of faculty immediately come to mind—but the elevator scene truly takes the cake. Getting stuck with two cute classmates is bad enough, but when you desperately need to pee and your crush suggests using your coffee cup? That’s an excruciatingly embarrassing moment.
Ik-joon vs Jun-wan in ‘Hospital Playlist’
Hospital Playlist is a treasure trove of meme-able scenes and hilarious moments between the 99s—a group of lifelong friends who all work as doctors at Yulje Medical Centre and cosplay as bandmates in their spare time. Their dynamic, as with any tight-knit friend group, is full of love, teasing and inside jokes—but none are as chaotically entertaining as Ik-jun and Jun-wan. Their endless bickering, ridiculous squabbles and perfectly timed comedic fights are a consistent highlight.
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