The 10 Best Enemies-To-Lovers Korean Dramas (2024)

Hollywood has played around with the enemies-to-lovers trope dozens of times, knowing that just the right amount of friction can make a relationship all the more compelling. After all, nothing stirs the soul like a riveting on-screen romance that starts with a mutual disinterest. When it comes to the Korean drama sphere, there are few shows that nail this dynamic.

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In these shows, each one of the featured couples is found sparring in their professional careers, or otherwise hold onto grudges from the past. Either way, the magnetic pull of these sworn adversaries is undeniable. We watch the reflections of our own complexities in these multi-layered characters as they slowly waltz from disdain to understanding. That said, no genre puts these will-they-won’t-they highs and lows on clearer display, with the fruits of romance being much sweeter than the thorns of hatred. These are just some of the best examples of the enemies-to-lovers trope within the Korean drama sphere.

Updated Dec. 22, 2023: This article has been updated with additional information about the best enemies-to-lovers Korean dramas.

10 Her Private Life (2019)

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Based on the webtoonNoona Fan Dot Com, this 2019 drama features every little sequence that makes enemies-to-lovers stories interesting. Her Private Life follows Sung Deok Mi (Park Min-young), who deeply enjoys her role as an art gallery curator. Despite never once missing the mark in her professional life, she harbors a secret. Sung Deok Mi is a die-hard fan of White Ocean's Cha Shi-an, who is a famous K-pop star.

On one hand, she dedicates herself to work and spends time with her coworkers. But on the other hand, she handles a Shi-an website, where she allows herself to swoon over the nation’s heartthrob. When Ryan Gold (Kim Jae-wook), the new boss, enters her orbit, their electric clashes lead to them forming negative impressions of one another. Things only get worse when he finds out about Sung Deok Mi’s secret obsession.

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Her Private Life Is Captivating

The drama makes you cling to those vulnerable moments between the two, peeling back new layers with each episode. The series was developed by Studio Dragon, whose prolific output in the Korean drama scene has led to some incredible shows like Crash Landing on You and It's Okay to Not Be Okay. Both leads have a history of similar roles, with Kim Jae-wook being featured in shows like Marry Me, Mary!, and Park Min-young starring in Forecasting Love and Weather. Due to Studio Dragon's partnership with Netflix, this series can be found on everyone's favorite streamer.

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9 My Love From the Star (2013)

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My Love From the Star features a unique, intergalactic premise. About four centuries ago, during the Joseon Dynasty period, an alien named Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun) landed on Earth. Ever since his arrival, he has been skeptical of humans and has tried to stay as far away from them as possible, keeping his interactions with the populace to a minimum. However, a chance encounter with a popular but childish actress, Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun), only cements his opinion on humankind.

This series was incredibly popular, not only in South Korea, but internationally as well. Its popularity prompted the creation of several adaptations in Thailand, China, Japan, and the Philippines.

My Love From the Star Was Incredibly Popular

From the very start, the energy between the two is explosive, with Do Min-joon coming off as a snob and Cheon Song-yi as a vain artist. My Love From the Star gives our beloved alien a chance at love, but his relationship comes with an expiration date. He only has three months before he returns to his home planet, giving the tense romance on display a strict time limit. With tender imagery and poignant moments, the fantasy series reflects ultimately upon the idea of soulmates, with a relationship that draws your interest as it unfolds. My Love From the Star is not available on streaming.

8 Suspicious Partner (2017)

What happens when the person who hates you with a passion is your only hope for escaping a murder charge? Suspicious Partner is set around a highly talented and straightforward prosecutor, Noh Ji-wook (Ji Chang-wook), and his amateur intern, Eun Bong-hee (Nam Ji-hyun). They are both very passionate about law and take their profession seriously. But while one is experienced and never misses a chance to show off, the other gets herself in trouble because of her naivety. After Eun Bong-hee is arrested for murder, Noh Ji-wook steps up to fight for her, only to face significant opposition along the way.

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Suspicious Partner Is a Murderous Romance

From compulsively watchable courtroom battles to forensic studies and intricate investigations, our rival leads' chemistry blooms all along. The character transformations are subtle but undeniable, revealing that there was a lingering affection between them all along. There's a strong setup in its murder investigation, and though the series stretches across 40 separate episodes, its unique premise carries its burgeoning romance to the very end.

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7 Mad for Each Other (2021)

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No Hwi Oh (Jung Woo) works as a detective at Gangnam Police Station. The cases he handles in the violent crimes division have hardened his exterior but also given him anger issues, making him aggressive about trivial things and leading him to seek help from a psychiatrist. This psychiatrist in question is also seeing another patient, Lee Min Kyung (Oh Yeon-seo), who may look like an unassuming woman on the outside, but she harbors a deep-set trauma from an “incident” that has made her annoying, toxic, and delusional. The two patients can’t help but meddle in each other’s businesses because it turns out that they are also neighbors.

You'll Go Mad for Mad for Each Other

Mad for Each Other follows their sessions as they evolve from unhealthy spats to lighthearted banter, letting us savor each moment of their lovable personalities. As funny as it is to see two stark-raving rivals gradually fall in love, the performances of Jung Woo and Oh Yeon-seo are what truly carry this series forwards. It'd be incredibly easy to turn a series like this into something dull and overly-energetic. However, along with telling a terrific tale of romance, it also tackles the deep-seated problems that lie within both our overly-angry leads.

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Stream on Netflix

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6 Love to Hate You (2023)

Past Lives actor Yoo Teo stars opposite Kim Ok-bin, who previously starred in The Villainess, as a strong female lead in this exciting and hilarious Korean drama. Love to Hate You follows Yeo Mi Ran (Kim Ok-bin), a devoted, budding lawyer whose intolerance of romance and extravagant gestures has given her a bit of a mean streak.

As for Nam Kang Ho (Yoo Teo), he’s an A-lister with a long track record of heartbreak when it comes to relationships. When Kang Ho’s company hires their first female lawyer and assigns her to handle all of his cases, he has no choice but to run into and deal with Mi Ran.

You'll Fall in Love With Love to Hate You

From butting heads with each other, to fake dating in front of the media, to finally warming up and falling in love, this drama is a bingeworthy entry to the list. It's arguably one of the quintessential examples of the enemies-to-lovers trope, practically breaking down every step between the two's budding relationship over the course of just 10 episodes. It's a short drama series that's bound to keep your attention.

Stream on Netflix

5 Shooting Stars (2022)

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The best thing about Shooting Stars is that, aside from being a "savory enemies" rom-com, it also works as a workplace comedy. The story follows Gong Tae Sung (Kim Young Dae), who is the nation’s beloved acting star. Constantly being in the spotlight and having an image to maintain has made him used to feigning his emotions, always pretending to be a kindhearted soul.

But his true personality isn’t as pleasant. And that is something the employees of Starforce Entertainment, his management agency, are well aware of. The company’s PR team head is Oh Han Byeol (Lee Sung Kyung). While she’s good at keeping Tae Sung’s true nature hidden, she’s also constantly at odds with him. Though their constant bickering initially puts them at odds, they may find themselves softening up over time as they understand each other on a deeper level.

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Shooting Stars Is Full of Stars

In only 16 episodes, you'll find an interesting twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope with its focus on a unique relationship. It's not uncommon to see high-profile actors gain an attitude towards their peers, but it's less common to see a professional relationship gradually peel this attitude back to see why it exists. Combined with the terrific performances of Lee Sung Kyung and Kim Young Dae, Shooting Stars does a terrific job of presenting a captivating drama series overall. Shooting Stars is not available on streaming.

4 Our Beloved Summer (2021)

Choi Woo-shik and Kim Da-mi star in this saccharine, sweet Korean drama that follows former high school sweethearts turning into complete strangers. However, when they're forced to work together as adults, something lost long ago may rekindle itself.

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As teenagers, Choi Woong and Kook Yeon Soo were a part of a documentary film that captured their days at school, with the former being a slacker obsessed with art and drawing and the latter a top student determined to achieve great things in life. Over the course of filming, the two ended up dating and falling in love, but Yeon Soo broke Woong’s heart and they parted ways. Only to meet again years later, as adults, pulled back in front of the camera to gain from the popularity of the former documentary.

Our Beloved Summer is Methodical

Our Beloved Summer plays out at a wonderful and nostalgic pace. To watch the two leads figure their hearts out is the sweetest thing ever, and the series utilizes its sun-soaked setting as an apt metaphor for the romance on display. It's a drama whose optimism and joy are counterbalanced by an equal amount of sadness, taking you on a fully fledged emotional journey. It's easily one of the most romantic Korean dramas out there.

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Stream on Netflix

3 The Innocent Man (2018)

Featuring a compelling main character against an ignorant heroine and embroiling their love in a dark secret is the recipe for a successful and captivating drama. The Innocent Man does just that. Kang Ma Roo (Song Joong Ki), a medical student, and Han Jae Hee (Park Shi Yeon), a reporter, used to be madly in love until Jae Hee betrayed Ma Roo, leaving him to take the blame for a murder she committed.

Infuriated and still harboring scars years later, Ma Roo gets out of jail to find out that Ma Roo has already moved on and is engaged to a wealthy man. In his attempt to seek revenge, Ma Roo gets close to Seo Eun-ki (Moon Chae Won), the daughter of the man she married.

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The Innocent Man is a Complex K-Drama

Watching these wounded souls gingerly heal old pains and learn to lean in the other’s embrace even through the storms is truly enchanting. The Innocent Man is easily the most emotionally thrilling entry on this list, and it's easy to see why. It's a melodrama at its core, but its characters are emotionally mature and intelligent. It allows for the story to develop in a comparatively sophisticated way, with its romance being just one piece of an emotionally compelling puzzle. Ultimately, there are no boring episodes to be found in The Innocent Man.

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2 Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

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In Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Hong Doo Shik (Kin Seon-ho) finds his quiet seaside village upended by the arrival of the attractive yet poised city girl Yoon Hye Jin (Shin Min-ah). Apparently, Hye Jin’s job in Seoul had started to fill her with discontent, especially after a tumultuous conflict with her boss. Frustrated out of her mind, she drives out to Gongjin, the town she visited with her parents growing up.

Upon learning that the town has no dentist practice, she decides to move there and start one of her own. Except, her feisty clashes with the smug jack-of-all-trades Hong Do Shik makes her life more difficult than ever. But since all of that leads to a tender romance between the two, we’re not complaining.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Will Leave You Smiling

Though 2021 saw plenty of K-Drama releases, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha could be considered as one of the year's best. It's a surprisingly mature drama series that presents its rivalrous romance in a way that feels realistic, all while tackling themes surrounding the human condition. You may even forget that you're watching a Korean drama at points, if it didn't make you cry. Even the extended cast gets some significant development throughout.

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1 Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Crash Course in Romance ends with one of the most climactic romances on this list. But before the two protagonists reach that point, there are stolen identities, embarrassments, crazy chases, and so much more.

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Set against the competitive world of entrance exams and parents vying for the best education for their children, the drama follows Choi Chi Yeol (Jung Kyung-ho), a popular instructor who enjoys teaching math. But, outside his profession, he is quite aloof and haunted by a past. Nam Haeng Sun (Jeon Do-yeon), meanwhile, is a retired national athlete who only wants her daughter to enroll in Chi Yeol’s private classes. The two inadvertently cross paths, setting the stage for a romance to blossom between polar opposite personalities.

A Crash Course in Romantic K-Dramas

It's hard to go wrong with Crash Course in Romance. The bittersweet rivalry here is complemented with sharp insults, though they take a novel form after our enemies-turned-lovers spend more time with each other. Being as dramatic as it is, this show will eventually hit you right where it hurts, diving into storylines you'd never expect to find while showing that love can blossom at any age.

Stream on Netflix

The 10 Best Enemies-To-Lovers Korean Dramas (2024)
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