Cover ‘Crash Landing on You’ has to be one of the most improbable meet-cutes in K-drama history. But it’s also one of the most unforgettable (Photo: tvN)
‘Crash Landing on You’ has to be one of the most improbable meet-cutes in K-drama history. But it’s also one of the most unforgettable (Photo: tvN)
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From childhood trauma to missing Roger Viviers, these meet-cutes prove that K-dramas know how to set up an unforgettable love story
Meet-cutes can be a difficult topic to discuss as far as K-dramas go. After all, so many of our most beloved TV couples often have serendipitous encounters from the past that make their eventual meeting all the more swoon-worthy. Whether it’s an accidental fall, a mistaken identity or a classic case of enemies-to-lovers, these unforgettable first encounters lay the groundwork for the heart-fluttering drama to come. Here are ten of the best K-drama meet-cutes that made us believe in destiny, love at first sight and ridiculously attractive strangers.
Also read: 4 K-dramas you need to watch before they end
1. ‘Love in the Moonlight’ (2016)
Above ‘Love in the Moonlight’
‘Love in the Moonlight’
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Crown Prince Lee Young (Park Bo-gum) meets Hong Ra-on (Kim Yoo-jung) under rather unconventional circumstances. Disguised as a eunuch to escape her debts, Ra-on unknowingly gives love advice to the Crown Prince himself. Their first interactions are full of playful banter, with Ra-on treating Lee Young like any other court official, unaware of his royal identity. When the truth starts to unravel, the stakes rise, making their romance even more swoon-worthy. This is one of the more unique meet-cutes, mixing mistaken identity, witty banter and historical intrigue.
2. ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019-2020)
Nothing says “fated love” quite like a paragliding mishap that literally drops Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) into North Korea and right into the arms of stoic North Korean captain Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin). It’s dramatic, unexpected and sets up one of the most iconic romances in K-drama history.
(Spoiler alert!) We later realise that Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok met years earlier in Switzerland. The latter unwittingly pulled the depressed Se-ri off the ledge and his special piano composition lingered in her heart and kept her going. Either meet-up is incredibly heartwarming.
Don't miss: Crash Landing On You stars Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin reveal first campaign as a couple
3. ‘Goblin’ (2016-2017)
This meet-cute is simple: Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun) casually summons a literal immortal being, Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), by blowing out a candle. Talk about an entrance. Their whimsical first meeting—and the subsequent chaos—is nothing short of magical.
4. ‘Boys Over Flowers’ (2009)
Above ‘Boys Over Flowers’ (Photo: IMDB)
‘Boys Over Flowers’ (Photo: IMDB)
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Jan-di (Ku Hye-sun) dramatically crosses paths with F4 leader Goo Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho) after standing up to his bullying ways. Their meet-cute is less about love at first sight and more about fiery verbal spars, but it launched one of K-drama’s most unforgettable love stories—which isn’t an easy feat considering the Taiwanese original (Meteor Garden) set an incredibly lofty standard.
Also read: Barbie Hsu’s best: 7 memorable Shan Cai moments from ‘Meteor Garden’
5. ‘What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?’ (2018)
Like CLOY, Lee Young-joon (Park Seo-joon) and Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young) meet twice.
Mi-so believes they first met when Young-joon hired her as his secretary. He visits the staff as they enjoy post-work drinks and asks her if he knows who he is. The question initially feels like he’s being his usual conceited self. However, we later discover that the pair have met when they were children. Both were kidnapped by a romantically jilted, mentally ill woman and nine-year-old Young-joon acted as Mi-so’s protector. After they escaped, five-year-old Mi-so made Young-joon promise that he’ll marry her. It’s an emotional yet sweet meet-cute—especially since Young-joon ends up keeping that childhood vow.
6. ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo’ (2016-2017)
Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) and Joon-hyung (Nam Joo-hyuk) meet when she helps him retrieve his lost handkerchief, only to later realise they are childhood friends. Their dynamic is adorable from the get-go, setting the stage for an honest-to-goodness coming-of-age romance.
7. ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ (2021)
Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a), a polished and somewhat haughty city dentist, meets Chief Hong (Kim Seon-ho) in the most humbling and also humiliating way possible. After quitting her job in Seoul, Hye-jin finds herself in the picturesque village of Gongjin, where she has an unfortunate mishap involving ruined heels, a lost shoe and a general air of flustered city-girl distress. Enter Chief Hong, the easygoing, ever-resourceful town handyman, who watches her struggle with barely concealed amusement. It’s pretty average as far as meet-cutes are concerned, full of tension, annoyance and subtle chemistry, but it’s effective nonetheless.
8. ‘Business Proposal’ (2022)
Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong) goes on a blind date pretending to be someone else. However, she receives the shock of her life when her date arrives and it is none other than her company’s CEO, Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop). She tries to turn him off—from talking to her purse in a baby voice to suddenly becoming very sensual. The sheer comedic value of their disastrous first meeting is what makes this romance so fun to watch.
9. ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’ (2020)
This meet-cute is written across universes. Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho), the king of the Kingdom of Corea, has spent years searching for the woman on an old ID card he found as a child. That woman is Detective Jung Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun), who, unbeknown to her, holds the key to his fate. When they finally meet in her world, she’s naturally sceptical about a man claiming to be a king. Lee Gon, on the other hand, is stunned and overjoyed to see her in the flesh. Their first meeting is charged with destiny and disbelief, setting the tone for a romance that defies time, space and reality.
10. ‘Strong Woman Do Bong-soon’ (2017)
Above ‘Strong Woman Do Bong-soon’ (Photo: IMDB)
‘Strong Woman Do Bong-soon’ (Photo: IMDB)
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CEO Ahn Min-hyuk’s (Park Hyung-sik) initial encounter with Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) is far from your typical “bumping into each other on the street”. He finds her effortlessly taking down a gang of thugs with her superhuman strength, and he’s both impressed and intrigued. Min-hyuk watches the tiny woman tossing around grown men like rag dolls fascinated. Recognising her potential, he hires her as his bodyguard. We love a strong man who’s not intimidated by a super-strong woman.
See more: 5 K-dramas with kick-ass female leads you should watch
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