7 Korean Dramas Where Romance and Actual Plots Coexist

You often hear that K-dramas are all about love arcs and fluffy romances. But this is a misconception. Those who prefer a storyline with plot twists and turns that balance out the romance will find, upon closer inspection, that South Korean television has made a lot of shows for them.

Here are seven series where the love story doesn't overshadow the actual plot, but rather enriches it.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Woo is a rookie lawyer with Asperger's syndrome, eidetic memory and an extremely high IQ. She was hired by a big law firm in Seoul and has to prove herself as a competent attorney. The show has a case-per-episode format with the protagonist's arc developing in the background, great supporting characters, and a compelling romantic storyline.

If You Wish Upon Me (2022)

A young man with a troubled past joins a group of people who fulfill the last wishes of hospice patients. Surprisingly, caring for others for the first time in his life helps him see his own traumas and himself in a new light.

Mad for Each Other (2021)

The protagonists of this K-drama are a violent crime detective with anger issues and a woman caught up in her own delusions and compulsions. Both suffer from mental illness and have their own painful stories to heal from with each other's support.

Call It Love (2023)

After her father dies and his mistress kicks her out of the family home, Woo-joo plans a great revenge. However, the mistress' son turns out to be the one who understands Woo-joo, and the two soon fall for each other. Although it is a romantic melodrama, the show also deals with the themes of revenge, family, and forgiveness.

When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

A single mother moves to a small town and opens a bar. She meets all kinds of people, including a charming police officer who is determined to win her heart. But when a serial killer begins to target the protagonist, her suitor must find him before he strikes.

Chicago Typewriter (2017)

The three main characters were all resistance fighters in their past lives during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930s. In their present lives, they cross paths again and are determined to solve the mysteries of the past. As a bonus, the drama has an extremely slow-burning romance.

Lawless Lawyer (2018)

The show follows a former gangster turned lawyer who wants to avenge his mother, and a lawyer of high integrity who is not happy with the system. Together they form the Lawless Law Firm and fight injustice in the system and corruption by any means necessary.