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 of cozy romance movies have 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.

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‘Bungee Jumping of Their Own’ (2001)

Image via Cineclick Asia

One of Korea’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 drama Bungee Jumping of Their Own from 2001, which was a bit controversial at the time. Though imperfect in some ways, it’s an interesting love story that depicts the idea of having “the one,” a person who’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.

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‘Love and Leashes’ (2022)

Image via Netflix

Love and Leashes may 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’s an unconventional love story and one that’s potentially more realistic than 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 Leashes isn’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 its Netflix streaming slot.

Love and Leashes follows 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 Leashes is just as endearing and romantic as the rest of these movies.

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‘On Your Wedding Day’ (2018)

On Your Wedding Day is a romance drama directed by Lee Seok-geun. Park Bo-young and Kim Young-kwang, who had previously collaborated on a film in 2014, maintained their impressive on-screen chemistry. Filming took place from September to December 2017, mostly in Seoul, and the ten-year storyline is meant to show believable character growth from the periods of adolescence to adulthood. The film was a box-office success in Korea and was well-received among wider audiences because of how relatable, romantic, heartfelt, and humorous it is.

On Your Wedding Day follows Woo-yeon (Kim), who receives a wedding invitation from his high school love, Seung-hee (Park). The film then takes a nostalgic look back on their long relationship, starting with Woo-yeon’s teen crush on Seung-hee and going through all the troubles and joys of growing up and love. However, instead of a typical fairy-tale love story, we’re shown the fleeting nature of life, showing that romance and affection aren’t always enough, and that people outgrow each other. The realistic portrayal of first love, which is not always “meant to be,” is what makes On Your Wedding Day memorable long after the credits have rolled, but it is an ending you might not expect.

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‘Sweet & Sour’ (2021)

Sweet & Sour is one of the newer South Korean romantic comedies that comes from Netflix, which has produced some great K-romance movies over the past few years (great examples are Love and Leashes and 20th Century Girl). It portrays a couple, Da-eun and Hyuk (Chae Soo-bin and Jang 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 makes Sweet & Sour rewatchable 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.

16

‘Love 911’ (2012)

Love 911 is a romance drama about healing and unexpected connections directed by Jeong Gi-hun. The film balances action, drama, and romance, alternating between fiery rescues and dramatic suspense and soft moments that reveal the characters’ inner selves. Love 911 garnered praise for its performances and chemistry, while Han Hyo-joo received a Best Actress nomination at the 49th Baeksang Arts Awards for her role. Love 911 depicts a romance that develops through the messy and painful, yet ultimately rewarding work of caring for another person by combining the thrill that first responders experience with the slow, imperfect process of emotional healing.

Love 911 follows Kang-il (Go Soo), a devoted firefighter troubled by his wife’s tragic death, and Mi-soo (Han), a tough, career-driven doctor whose initial motive for pursuing Kang-il is less than honorable. After a misdiagnosis causes Mi-soo’s career problems, she attempts to get closer to Kang-il in the hopes of establishing a case, but her strategy backfires as the two clash and slowly start to understand each other’s pasts and inner lives. Love 911 depicts two closed-off people developing a beautiful, honest romance while coping with grief, guilt, and the possibility of moving on.

15

‘Always’ (2011)

Image via Showbox

Always is a melodrama starring So Ji-sub and Han 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 in Always are superb, if not a tad overdramatic, but, as any fan of cheesy South Korean dramas will 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.

14

‘Moonlit Winter’ (2019)

Moonlit Winter is 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 Winter is a visually gorgeous and touching romance for anyone looking for a good cry.

13

‘Architecture 101’ (2012)

Image via Lotte Entertainment

Interestingly enough, Architecture 101 had a largely male audience to thank for its impeccable run at the South Korean box office. Architecture 101 was 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 to Bae 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 101 is 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 that they met while they were students. Architecture 101 is a 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 also a love letter to architecture, here depicted as an art form.

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‘Be With You’ (2018)

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-star Son 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 You is 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 that Soo-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. As the publication London Korean Links said, “If you’re not blubbing uncontrollably at various points in this lovely thing, you are a heartless brute.”

11

‘Spellbound’ (2011)

Image via CJ Entertainment

Spellbound is a romantic comedy with a supernatural twist, and another film starring Son Ye-jin. The movie blends comedy, romance, and horror elements to create a unique tone uncommon in typical South Korean (or global) rom-coms. Supernatural gained a great box office success, with Asian audiences in particular; the movie even got a Philippine remake in 2023, though the original Spellbound remains a staple of quirky, offbeat K-romances.

Spellbound follows Yeo-ri (Son), a woman cursed with the ability to see ghosts, which has made her life lonely and awkward as spirits periodically appear around her without warning. Her world changes when Ma Jo-goo (Lee Min-ki), a charismatic magician, notices her unusual talent and recruits her for his act, partly because her talent and ability add a chilling effect beneficial to his performances. As the two grow closer, their relationship unfolds with a mix of humor, scares, and genuine emotion, forcing Yeo-ri to confront both her fear of isolation and the possibility of love.