Many scenes in K-dramas have depicted love at first sight. A popular trope in the romance genre, love at first sight in a K-drama often begins with a slow-motion shot of the characters seeing each other for the first time. Whether one or both protagonists fall in love, this trope is still a classic that almost always leads to entertaining results.
K-dramas are no stranger to tropes; from enemies-to-lovers to fake dates, romance K-dramas don’t shy away from clichés. Much of K-dramas’ recognition comes from their ability to reinvent the familiar and transform it into something new and exciting. Shows like “Crash Course in Romance” and “Because This Is My First Life” take the tropes of enemies-to-lovers and fake dates and make them fresh. K-dramas that feature love at first sight are no exception to this rule and some of the best ones leave an impression in just one scene.
10- Special Laws Of Romance
Couple: Jeong Eui-chan and Seo Ji-hye
The first meeting between Jeong Eui-chan and Seo Ji-hye in “Special Laws of Romance” does not go very well. When they pass each other on the street, Ji-hye’s hair gets caught in Eui-chan’s shirt. Eui-chan, who is the country’s youngest judge, is initially annoyed but helps Ji-hye untangle her hair. His lesson about being careful where she goes ends when he finally sees Ji-hye’s face and falls in love at first sight. It’s an adorable scene that perfectly captures the strong personalities of both characters.
9- What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim
Couple: Lee Young-joon and Kim Mi-so
“What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim” uses the common K-drama cliché of falling in love with your boss. Lee Young-joon and Kim Mi-so’s “love at first sight” in this K-drama actually happened when they were young. As children, Young-joon and Mi-so are kidnapped and held together in an abandoned house. Although Young-joon’s feelings for Mi-so don’t fully emerge until she announces her intention to resign as secretary, they begin in this house. Seeing them as children promising each other to get married when they grow up adds a lot of emotion to the K-drama and is touching, despite the trauma of their shared past.
8- The Heirs
Couple: Kim Tan and Cha Eun-sang
In “The Heirs”, Kim Tan sees Cha Eun-sang for the first time in the United States. Tan is sent there by his half-brother to keep him away from family affairs. Eun-sang is looking for her sister when Tan sees her on the boardwalk. Despite his commitment to a wealthy heiress, Tan falls in love with Eun-sang at first sight. Their different backgrounds create conflicts, because Eun-sang does not come from a wealthy background. The scene where Tan first sees Eun-sang is beautiful, as their differences are obvious – but Tan ignores them all in favor of Eun-sang herself. The K-drama adds a love triangle, but it’s obvious that Tan is the one for Eun-sang.
7- Secret Garden
Couple: Kim Joo-won and Gil Ra-im
While trying to resolve her cousin’s scandal, Kim Joo-won, CEO of a department store, meets Gil Ra-im, a stuntwoman. This duo couldn’t be more different and Ra-im thinks Joo-won is arrogant. Joo-won decides to find her and ends up at an audition she organizes. Looking at her through the window, he finds himself falling in love with her cool personality. Although this scene isn’t their first meeting, it’s the first time Joo-won begins to rationalize her feelings for Ra-im. Seeing the cold and calculating Joo-won realize he’s in love is both moving and humorous.
6- Snowdrop
Couple: Lim Soo-ho and Eun Yeong-ro
Snowdrop tells the story of a North Korean spy and a young woman who fall in love in 1987 South Korea. Lim Soo-ho and Eun Yeong-ro fall in love at first sight when they meet at a restaurant. The scene perfectly combines love at first sight with another popular K-drama trope: accidental touching. When the toothpick tower Soo-ho is building on the table falls, he and Yeong-ro touch each other while trying to catch it. It’s a wonderfully intimate scene despite the crowds of people present. It perfectly encapsulates the intimacy of the show itself and the drama that unfolds afterwards.
5- When The Camellia Blooms
Couple: Hwang Yong-sik and Oh Dong-baek
In “When The Camellia Blooms,” police officer Hwang Yong-sik first sees Oh Dong-baek in a bookstore. He immediately falls in love with her, wondering if it’s because of the romantic setting. Dong-baek, however, finds Yong-sik strange, as he keeps staring at her inadvertently. It’s a sweet scene, as Yong-sik’s innocence shines through despite Dong-baek’s skepticism. This dynamic is what fuels their relationship throughout the K-drama, with Yong-sik trying to show Dong-baek his sincerity in how he feels about her. The scene is so simple and domestic, with enough humor to hint at how wonderful their relationship will be.
4- Strong Girl Bong-soon
Couple: An Min-hyuk and Do Bong-soon
In the memorable K-drama Strong Girl Bong-soon, Do Bong-soon marks An Min-hyuk when she uses her superhuman strength to stop the bus he is on, avoiding an accident with a woman and child. Although he can’t see her face clearly, Min-hyuk falls in love with her, even though he doesn’t realize it at the time. Love at first sight is one of the few romantic clichés that works well in a life-threatening situation, like the one used in Strong Girl Bong-soon. It adds just the right amount of drama and is a good jumping off point for Min-hyuk and Bong-soon’s adorable relationship.
3- One Spring Night
Couple: Yoo Ji-ho and Lee Jeong-in
“One Spring Night” is a romantic K-drama that follows two people who, despite their growing feelings, find it difficult to act due to social pressure. When Lee Jeong-in visits the pharmacy where Yoo Ji-ho works in search of a hangover cure, Ji-ho instantly falls in love with her. This meeting perfectly sets up each interaction that follows, as Ji-ho and Jeong-in fall in love. “One Spring Night” is an intimate and emotional spectacle, and the love at first sight scene does it justice. The K-drama tackles difficult topics such as loss of romantic feelings and the stigma of single parents. He does a remarkable job with the love story while keeping the emotions high.
2- Business Proposal
Couple: Cha Sung-hoon and Jin Young-seo
Cha Sung-hoon and Jin Young-seo have one of the cutest love-at-first-sight moments when they meet at a convenience store in “Business Proposal.” After seeing Young-seo treat a child who draws on her skirt with kindness rather than anger, Sung-hoon is immediately attracted to her. Young-seo shares this attraction when she sees Sung-hoon, saying he’s exactly her type. The moment is absurd and cliché, but that doesn’t matter when the resulting relationship is as cute and chaotic as Sung-hoon and Young-seo’s. They actually have a more interesting story than the main K-drama characters.
1- Descendants Of The Sun
Couple: Yoo Si-jin and Kang Mo-yeon
Medical K-dramas are a very popular genre, and when combined with romance, they are the perfect vehicle for clichés. Special Forces soldier Yoo Si-jin falls in love with Dr. Kang Mo-yeon when he first sees her in the emergency room in the K-drama Descendants of the Sun. Even though Mo-yeon initially mistakes him for an ally of the thief she’s dealing with, Si-jin continues to woo her. This first meeting brilliantly sets the stage for Si-jin and Mo-yeon’s relationship to come, as lack of communication becomes the biggest obstacle they must overcome.
What crush would you add to this list?