Top 10 Most Heartbreaking K-Drama Moments
#10: Young-ho Won’t Let Joo-eun Be There for Him “Oh My Venus” (2015-16)
Pride goeth before the fall - at least in the case of Kim Young-ho. A personal trainer who works with celebrities, he’s persuaded by Kang Joo-eun to help her on her fitness journey. He sees her through the toughest of times, and helps her feel good about herself again. Pretty soon, feelings develop. Yet when he gets into a devastating car accident, he closes himself off to her. It’s his one chance to let her support him, but he doesn’t want to interact with her while in the hospital. He needs to be alone for some time, making for a truly heart-wrenching moment.
#9: Jo Ji-ah & Kim Min-kyu Part Ways “I’m Not a Robot” (2017-18)
Kim Min-kyu doesn’t have the easiest life because he’s allergic to humans. It makes sense, then, that he would fall for Jo Ji-ah, who’s masquerading as a robot named Aji 3. Not knowing that she’s actually human, Min-kyu develops strong feelings for her. But when it seems like they cannot be, he comes to a painful decision. Right before “resetting” her, he places his necklace around her neck and expresses his emotions. Since one tragedy wasn’t enough, we then watch his heart get ripped in half again when he learns her true identity later on. His confusion and hurt get so bad that he has an allergic reaction! Heartbreak is bad enough, but getting a rash on top of it is too much to bear!
#8: Eun Dan-oh Crying on the Bridge “Extraordinary You” (2019)
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Imagine waking up one morning to discover that you’re in a comic book. And you’re not even the hero - you’re a random character, and your fiancé hates you. Oh, and you’re going to die. That’s exactly what happens to Eun Dan-oh, who decides she’s going to control her own fate. She searches for her soulmate, but warping the plot isn’t easy. Throughout most of the series, Dan-oh is strong, happy, and confident. That’s why seeing her plead to live longer while on a bridge is so upsetting. It becomes clear how impossible her situation is, and exposes how vulnerable she really is.
#7: Park Jae-won Opens Up “Lovestruck in the City” (2020-21)
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As the great Pat Benetar once sang, “Love Is a Battlefield.” This is especially true in “Lovestruck in the City.” The various tales of love and woe are tearjerkers, but Park Jae-won’s is especially upsetting. He falls in love with Seon-a, who isn’t quite who she seems. They even have an adorable “fake” wedding. After she leaves him, he starts to drink heavily, and sees her even when she isn’t there. On one of these occasions, he actually does come face-to-face with the real Seon-a. Still thinking that she’s an illusion, he poignantly tells her that he believed in their union and that their relationship meant a lot to him.
#6: Jeong Chan-young Tells Kim Jin-seok Her Secret “Thirty-Nine” (2022)
“Thirty-Nine” is a bit like the Korean version of “Sex and the City.” The series follows three women in their late thirties who are close friends. They support one another as they deal with their relationships and their careers. Poor Jeong Chan-young may have the worst deal though, as she’s not only in love with a married man, she also has terminal cancer. She tells her true love, Kim Jin-seok that she’s dying in one of the series’ most devastating moments. His shock and pain are palpable, and we just want to reach into the screen and hug him. We’d recommend having some tissues nearby for this one.
#5: Gu Jun-pyo Tells Geum Jan-di to Get Lost “Boys Over Flowers” (2009)
Poor Geum Jan-di is put through the ringer in this classic K-drama. Jun-pyo and Jan-di care deeply for one another and share some special moments, but that doesn’t excuse the way he treats her. When he leaves to take over as the head of his family’s company, she travels to see him. Despite everything the pair have been through, Jun-pyo still blows her off. We feel as though our own hearts are being trampled on when he tells her that he wants to forget her. In true K-drama fashion, Jan-di is left alone on a bridge with tears streaming down her face. Jun-pyo, why’d you have to go and do that?
#4: Park Hye-jin Learns the Truth About Her Son “Squid Game” (2021-)
As exciting and terrifying as “Squid Game” is, there are plenty of agonizing moments as well. While the show leaves us more stressed than we thought possible, it also makes us weep on occasion. One of the more understated yet powerful scenes involves San-Woo’s mother, Park Hye-jin. We learn that Sang-Woo is a participant because he’s wanted by authorities for fraud, is in debt, and used his mom’s house as collateral. Sweet Hye-jin doesn’t know any of this. When the cops do show up, she’s stunned. Watching the expression on her face change from pride to shock is nothing short of heartbreaking.
#3: Ri Jeong-hyeok & Yoon Se-ri’s Goodbye “Crash Landing on You” (2019-20)
Saying that the two leads in this series go through a lot is a bit of an understatement. After “crash landing” in North Korea, South Korean Yoon Se-ri is aided by North Korean Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok. After multiple escape attempts, she finally makes it back home. She returns the favor by helping Jeong-hyeok take down a corrupt gang. Despite being offered amnesty, he decides to head back to North Korea, prompting a dramatic final farewell from Se-ri. The two lovers nearly cause a shootout at the border, but even tense international relations can’t keep them apart. Thankfully, no one is harmed, except the audience, who watch with breaking hearts as the two dissolve into tears in each other’s arms.
#2: Ha-jin’s Letters “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” (2016)
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Time travel always seems to end in heartbreak. A solar eclipse sends Go Ha-jin to the year 941, where she becomes Hae Soo. Luckily for her, her vivacious personality is adored by the various princes. As the series goes on, she falls for the troubled Wang So. Throughout all of the political turmoil, the two cease to speak. After she passes away, Wang So revisits a pile of letters she wrote him. As he reads each one, he realizes that she truly did love him. He breaks down, knowing that they can never be together again. The series had a slew of tragic scenes, but this one takes the cake.
#1: Sunny’s Farewell “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” (2016-17)
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Has there ever been a K-Drama as wildly heartbreaking as this one? We don’t think so. There’s the scene where Eun-tak realizes her mom has passed away after she brings her a birthday cake. The titular Goblin tragically being separated from the love of his life isn’t for the faint of heart, either! The absolute topper, though, is when Sunny finally has to say goodbye to her love, who happens to be the Grim Reaper. Even after everything they face, they still can’t be together. Why couldn’t they just live happily ever after?!
