There’s no better activity than getting cozy with a blanket and a movie, no matter the season or weather. The best kinds of movies to watch in such for getting ultimately cozy and comfortable are, undoubtedly, heartwarming romantic movies. Fans ofcozy romance movieshave a large movie library to choose from, but how about giving a chance to some South Korean ones?
South Korea is known for its romantic K-dramas with incredible stories and slow-burn love, but its romantic feature films tend to take a backseat in the eyes of international audiences. This makes sense, as K-dramas span several episodes and allow viewers to get to know the characters much better. However,romantic feature films from South Korea have the same sentiment but convey their love stories much better. They’re a quick rollercoaster of feelings, heartwarming and heartbreaking alike, making them ideal for those cold winter moments.
15’Bungee Jumping of Their Own' (2001)
Directed by Kim Dae-sung
One ofKorea’s biggest action stars,Lee Byung-hun, is also a well-known heartthrob among South Korean movie fans. He started acting in 1991 and has had various roles since, from cold-blooded vigilantes to romantic leads. One of his unique roles was in the romantic dramaBungee Jumping of Their Ownfrom 2001, which was a bit controversial at the time. Though imperfect in some ways, it’san interesting love story that depicts the idea of having “the one,” a person that’s meant for us.
Lee Byung-hun and Lee Eun-ju play two young students, In-woo and Tae-hee, who get to know each other and fall in love. When their romance blossoms, things seem to be going well, but suddenly, Tae-hee gets involved in a car accident and dies. In-woo, heartbroken, continues his life, and 17 years later, the story shows him as a high school teacher. When In-woo gets a new student, Hyun-bin, he notices similarities between him and his former love, Tae-hee. The story unfolds, depicting struggles with self-acceptance, self-discovery, and the idea that there’s always that one person in someone’s life.
14’Love and Leashes' (2022)
Directed by Park Hyeon-jin
Love and Leashesmay be an unusual choice for a great romantic movie, but this rom-com has a lot of surprising elements that will make you chuckle and say “awww.” It’san unconventional love story and one that’s potentially more realisticthan many of the most romantic K-movies. Why? It incorporates sexual desires into its central theme, and a couple who fall in love through exploration of each other’s hidden preferences. Love and Leashesisn’t the first kind of movie to be this open about different types of love, but it’s one of the most prominent recent ones that won over a large audience, mostly due to itsNetflixstreaming slot.
Love and Leashesfollows two employees in a PR firm, Ji-hoo (Lee Jun-young) and Ji-woo (Seohyun). Ji-woo, Ji-hoo’s senior, accidentally learns one day that he is into BDSM, and he asks her to enter such a relationship with him. At first, it’s purely transactional, but then Ji-woo gains more confidence in herself, and the two inevitably fall in love. There’s not a lot of melodrama, but Love and Leashesis just as endearing and romantic as the rest of these movies.
Love and Leashes
13’Sweet & Sour' (2021)
Directed by Kae-Byeok Lee and Kate Jopson
Sweet & Souris one of the newerSouth Korean romantic comedies that comes from Netflix, which has produced some great K-romance movies over the past few years (great examples areLove and Leashesand20th Century Girl). It portrays a couple, Da-eun and Hyuk (Chae Soo-binandJang Ki-yong), who become close after Da-eun takes care of him at the hospital where he is her patient. They enter a relationship that soon becomes long-distance because Hyuk accepts a job in Seoul, whereas they live in Incheon.
Hyuk’s traveling back and forth puts a strain on their relationship, evolving the story into a more complex analysis of emotional neglect—both of oneself and their partner—the working and overworking culture, and long-distance romance.The twist at the end is another great part of what makesSweet & Sourrewatchable and relatable. Though many viewers feel that the ending is disappointing, it shows that happy endings aren’t always realistic and that romance is sometimes like that.
Sweet & Sour
12’Always' (2011)
Directed by Song Il-gon
Alwaysis a melodrama starringSo Ji-subandHan Hyo-joo, who were at the height of their popularity at the start of the 2010s. So Ji-sub plays a former boxer, Cheol-min, whose rough exterior slowly gets broken down by a blind girl, Jung-hwa (Han Hyo-joo). They meet at his new job, a parking attendant booth, where Cheol-min sits and observes the world passing him by. Jung-hwa is optimistic and relentless in tearing down Cheol-min’s walls, but their romance has rocky moments and chilly periods.
This romantic drama has it all: a great-looking tough guy with a kind heart, a beautiful girl whose life didn’t go as planned, but she doesn’t give up,and an unbreakable bond between the two that tugs at the heartstrings. The performances inAlwaysare superb, if not a tad overdramatic, but, as any fan ofcheesy South Korean dramaswill know, this is how it’s done over there. Letting the emotion in without judging the melodramatics will help viewers enjoy a wonderfully made romance.
11’Moonlit Winter' (2019)
Directed by Lim Dae-hyung
Moonlit Winteris a touching drama that covers many topics, from coming-of-age to forbidden love. Yoon-hee (Kim Hee-ae) lives in the Korean countryside with her teenage daughter Sae-bom (Sohye). Sae-bom finds a love letter in her mother’s possessions one day, which she discovers was sent to her mom from a woman named Jun (Yuko Nakamura) in Japan. Seeing her mother’s loneliness, Sae-bom decides to reunite her mother with the Japanese woman, awakening a decades-old romance that remained hidden for so long.
While the movie follows Sae-bom’s maturing and compassion, it also gives Yoon-hee a second chance to finally live as the woman she always wanted to be. This second life, as well as meeting her first love, Jun,encourages Yoon-hee to embrace herself and make bolder choices that make her happy. While it’s a movie about a queer romance, it’s also a love story that encapsulates more than just romantic love.Moonlit Winteris a visually gorgeous and touching romance for anyone looking for a good cry.
10’Architecture 101' (2012)
Directed by Lee Yong-ju
Interestingly enough,Architecture 101had a largely male audience to thank for its impeccable run at the South Korean box office.Architecture 101was a breakthrough hit upon release and is often cited among must-watch South Korean movies, whether in the romantic category or in general. While that could be solely due toBae Suzy, the most popular actress of the 2010s, portraying the younger version of her character, So-yeon, there’s a lot more appealing and beautiful to this movie than just her.
Architecture 101is a story about two architects, Seung-min (Uhm Tae-woong) and So-yeon (Han Ga-in). So-yeon approaches Seung-min to ask him to redesign her Jeju Island home, and while they work on the house, the two grow closer. The movie also introduces a flashback to the time when the two attended college, and it’s revealed they met while they were students.Architecture 101isa bittersweet exploration of lost love, entwined with beautiful displays of impeccable architecture. Director Lee studied architecture himself at university, and collaborated with another famous architect to get the details in the movie right; in that way, it’s alsoa love letter to architecture, here depicted as an art form.
9’Be With You' (2018)
Directed by Lee Jang-hoon
Another So Ji-sub romance,Be With You, is one of the most popular movies of 2018. This could be because of him or because of his co-starSon Ye-jin(Crash Landing on You), who was the sweetheart of the romance genre at the time (and remains for so many of us).Be With Youis a remake of the Japanese drama of the same name, and even the trailer for this movie is a tearfest.
The movie follows Woo-jin, who’s unexpectedly left to raise his son alone after the premature death of his wife, Soo-ah. Before dying, Soo-ah makes a promise to return in the rainy season. Woo-jin soon realizes thatSoo-ah miraculously manages to fulfill that promise, but when she does return, her memory is wiped. Woo-jin must show Soo-ah why and how they fell in love, reinventing their romance and getting another chance to hold each other before it gets too late. Asthe publication London Korean Links said, “If you’re not blubbing uncontrollably at various points in this lovely thing, you are a heartless brute.”
Be With You
8’The Beauty Inside' (2015)
Directed by Baek Jong-yeol
Body-switching movies are common, butThe Beauty Insidetakes that premise to a higher level. This movie, starring K-drama heroPark Seo-joonandAlways' Han Hyo-joo, revolves around a furniture maker, Woo-jin, who wakes up as a different person every day. No matter the gender, age, race, or nationality, Woo-jin’s life transforms significantly every time he wakes up; this, however, doesn’t change his personality, as he always stays Woo-jin on the inside.
Woo-jin begins frequenting a furniture store where the beautiful Yi-soo (Han Hyo-joo) works. He visits her every day, though she doesn’t know he’s the same person every time he visits.When he wakes up as a handsome man one day (Park Seo-joon), he decides to ask Yi-soo out on a date. How Woo-jin and Yi-soo later manage their relationship leaves viewers to see whether beauty comes from the inside. This quirky romantic drama was based on anonline social series of the same namethat starredMary Elizabeth Winstead.
7'20th Century Girl' (2022)
Directed by Bang Woo-ri
Writer/directorBang Woo-rihad a great stroke of luck with her feature film debut, as20th Century Girlis often considered one of the best romance movies hailing from South Korea. A mix of a coming-of-age story and a love story, the movie is as heartwarming as it is sad. This wasone of the most watchedK-movies on Netflixwithin its first week of release, and it generally received rave reviews from critics and fans. People called it a touching tribute to the beauty of teenage years, remembering some of their own friendships and first loves.
20th Century Girlis set in 1999 and follows high school student, Bo-ra (Kim Yoo-jung) and her best friend, Yeon-du (Ro Yoon-seo). Yeon-du falls for a boy just before her departure for surgery abroad, and Bo-ra promises she’ll keep tabs on him and learn more about him while Yeon-du is away. Bo-ra curiously follows the boy around, but develops feelings for his best friend along the way. 20th Century Girl is a cute high-school romance that is sure to make you happy, and a little bit sad.
20th Century Girl
6’Failan' (2001)
Directed by Song Hae-sung
Choi Min-sikmay be South Korea’s most famous export when it comes to actors, butOldboyis far from his only role. This actor’s achievement list is long and impressive, as he continues to act and bring life to new and exciting characters. Before he madeOldboy,Choi Min-sik starred in an interesting (and admittedly heartbreaking) romantic drama titledFailan. To see him as a love interest was fun, though he had to be some sort of gangster even in a romance.
Choi portrays Kang-jae, a gangster who lacks any sympathy for others. He’s cold, rude, and careless, but also cowardly when it comes to doing real gangster work. On the other hand, there’s Failan (Cecilia Chung), a Chinese woman who comes to Korea looking for her remaining relatives. Failan’s family is all gone, but she wants to stay;Kang-jae signs marriage papers to help her settle in Korea, though the two never meet. Kang-jae and Failan are attracting opposites—he’s cold, and she is warm like sunshine on a winter day. Failan writes love letters to Kang-jae but never dares to give them to him; when Kang-jae finally sees them, his transformation by Failan’s warmth becomes more obvious. The movie superbly shows that love can find anyone.
