Let’s be honest—nothing gets at your heartstrings, ignites group chat arguments, or puts your allegiance to the test like a K-drama love triangle. It’s the emotional game of tug-of-war that has you up all night binge-watching episode after episode, clinging to the hopes that your favorite gets to be with the lead. Whether you’re cheering on the brooding bad boy, the adorable best friend, or the faithful second lead, love triangles are the pulse of so many of the greatest K-dramas. Here are ten of the greatest, ranked from “fun” to “emotionally shattering,” each one filled with drama, heartbreak, and unforgettable chemistry.
10. She Was Pretty
This romantic comedy begins lighthearted and humorous, but gradually drags you into an unexpectedly touching tale. Kim Hye-jin, who used to be the pretty girl, has such insecurity about her appearance and dodges running into her childhood sweetheart Ji Sung-joon. In her place, she sends in her gorgeous best friend Min Ha-ri. The result is a tasty tangled mess of deceptions, identity changes, and confusing signals that equate to the ideal love triangle. There’s wit, uncomfortable encounters, and just enough emotional heft to make things compelling right through.
9. Record of Youth
Against the hectic background of Korea’s entertainment world, this love triangle is all about drive and difficult decisions. Makeup artist Ahn Jeong-ha is caught between two old friends—Sa Hye-jun, the earthy actor she has always looked up to, and the assertive but generous Won Hae-hyo. Both are attractive possibilities, and neither is characterized as the “wrong” choice, which makes the emotional conflict feel all the more authentic. This triangle keeps the show grounded and true to its emotions, with plenty of genuine moments.
8. Boys Over Flowers
This is the love triangle that nearly defined a generation of K-drama followers. Geum Jan-di, a feisty girl from a poor family, finds herself in an elite high school and somehow lands between hot-headed Gu Jun-pyo and sweet, ethereal Yoon Ji-hoo. It’s crazy, melodramatic, and full of moments that’ll have you screaming at your TV. Okay, fine, Jan-di’s indecisiveness can be infuriating, but that only contributes to the melodrama. Regardless of whether you were Team Ji-hoo or Team Jun-pyo, you were probably hooked on this triangle.
7. Jinxed At First
If you prefer your love triangles with a dash of magic, this is your cup of tea. Gong Soo-kwang has bad luck until he meets Lee Seul-bi, who has a touch that allows her to see the future. Theirs is an instant connection that’s complicated by Seon Min-joon, who also falls for Seul-bi. The narrative incorporates fantasy, destiny, and a dash of fate, but it’s the development of the characters and surprising relationships that truly make this triangle glitter.
6. Black
Discuss high stakes—this triangle is literally from another world. Kang Ha-ram can see death coming, and when she becomes involved with the grim reaper Han Moo-gang, emotions get complicated in a hurry. Throw in Oh Man-soo, a young CEO who’s convinced by her prophesies and falls in love with her, and you’ve got an otherworldly triangle. It’s dark, heavy, and steeped in mystery, but the thing that gets you is the raw emotions between the characters.
5. Forecasting Love and Weather
Romance intersects office politics in this knotty tale of meteorologists and complicated relationships. Jin Ha Kyung is torn between her emotionally unavailable ex-boyfriend Ki Joon and her junior colleague Lee Shi Woo, who is more than a rebound. Dropped in the high-stakes universe of weather forecasting, the triangle is fraught with tension, old scars, and company gossip. It’s real, realistic, and surprisingly sentimental.
4. Start-Up
One of the most contentious triangles of recent years, Start-Up had fans drawing lines of battle between Team Do San and Team Ji Pyeong. Seo Dal Mi finds herself torn between Nam Do San, the socially inept whiz, and Han Ji Pyeong, the acerbic but secretly sentimental investor who penned her love letters as a teenager. Though the show never quite landed the emotional landing, the triangle itself generated constant online debate. The romance may have failed, but fan passion? Unrivaled.
3. All That We Loved
This triangle adds a dash of sci-fi to high school drama. Best friends Go Yoo and Joon Hee begin to drift apart after a kidney transplant leads to shared memories—and shared feelings for So Yeon, the school’s it-girl. What begins as innocent becomes emotionally fraught, as both boys grapple with their emotions and the fear of losing one another. It’s a new take on an old setup, and it explores how messy love and friendship can become.
2. Itaewon Class
Here’s one that reverses the typical equation. Rather than two dudes arguing over the woman, this melodrama presents us with two multidimensional women competing for the man. Park Sae Ro-yi is torn between Jo Yi-seo, a brilliant, sharp-tongued woman who is extremely devoted to him, and Oh Soo-ah, his childhood sweetheart, who now stands with his rivals. The triangle plays out against themes of ambition, loyalty, and revenge, and it’s all the stronger for its unconventional approach.
1. Nevertheless
If you’ve ever found yourself screaming at a screen because the couple has too much chemistry to make good decisions, this is the one. Yoo Na Bi, love-burned, is attracted to Park Jae-Eon, a guy who doesn’t believe in love but knows all the right ways to drop her. And Yang Do-Hyeok, her sweet, earthy childhood friend with stability and genuineness to spare. The tension is through the roof, and the emotional misdirection feels achingly realistic. It’s not a love triangle—this is a mood-fest.