12 First Love K-Dramas To Make Your Hearts Flutter

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One (2022)

Ah, the first love stories to end all love stories. This Baeksang-awarded K-drama starring gorgeous Nam Joo-Hyuk and the fantastic Kim Tae-ri stole the show and had our mouths to the floor earlier this year telling the love story of fencer Na Hee-do and reporter Baek Yi-Jin.

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One (2022)

Positioned as a coming-of-age K-drama focusing on passions, first loves, and friendships, Twenty-Five, Twenty-One embraces a realistic take on first love. After all, many first loves blossom and have happy endings; and yet, while that may be so, we look back on these periods of time with great fondness and appreciation for how these times made us become who we are. While Hee-do and Yi-jin's love story ends, in its own time, we fall in love concurrently with the two leads... as well as fall out of love but without bitterness. Watch it for the life and love lessons, stay for the cute and memorable moments among its main characters.

Start-Up (2020)

We couldn't stay away from Nam Joo-Hyuk for too long. Start-Up features a bit of a tricky first love situation. Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) considers her childhood penpal her first love. Unbeknownst to her, Han Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-ho) was the actual writer behind the letters while using Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk)’s name.

Photo Credit: tvN/Netflix

Start-Up (2020)

But, in order to not disappoint Dal-mi, Nam Do-san pretends to be her penpal. What was supposed to be a one-time ruse ends up continuing and developing into a genuine first love.

Photo Credit: tvN/Netflix

My I.D. is Gangnam Beauty (2018)

We all have our insecurities so we an all relate to the lead character, Kang Mi-rae (Lim Soo-Hyang), who grew up being bullied and teased for her appearance as she was a young girl. Before college, she goes under plastic surgery and hopes to start fresh in this new era of her life... but finds that people are still mean to her. Everyone but Do Kyung-seok (Cha Eun-woo), that is...

Photo Credit: JTBC

My I.D. is Gangnam Beauty (2018)

Attending the same university, Kyung-seok does not judge people by their appearance. He cares about what's on the inside rather than outside... and has been in love with Mi-rae ever since her younger years. While all the girls are after him, this heartthrob only has ever had eyes for Mi-rae. After all, "everyone becomes a fool for their first love."

Photo Credit: JTBC

My First First Love (2019)

My First First Love shows how a first love can develop after knowing someone for practically your whole life. Yun Tae-o (Ji Soo) and Han Song-i (Jung Chae-yeon) have been friends since elementary school, with Tae-o having a secret crush on Song-i when they were in high school.

Photo Credit: Netflix

My First First Love (2019)

However, they pursue relationships with different people as university students. While dating others, Tae-o and Song-i realize they have conflicting feelings and experience a true first love.

Photo Credit: Netflix

When My Love Blooms (2020)

When My Love Blooms proves that it can be very difficult to forget your first love, even after many years. Han Jae-hyun (portrayed by Park Jin-young and Yoo Ji-tae) and Yoon Ji-soo (portrayed by Jeon So-nee and Lee Bo-young) fell in love as university students.

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When My Love Blooms (2020)

Twenty years later, they’re living very different lives when they cross paths. Even though much time has passed, they can’t deny their still strong feelings for one another. Reunited, they stand up against obstacles together.

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Moment of Eighteen (2019)

Oftentimes, people experience first love during their adolescence as they navigate the transition into adulthood. This is the case in Moment of Eighteen where Choe Jun-u (Ong Seong-wu) is a reclusive transfer student who doesn’t intend to make friends, let alone experience love. Jun-u ends up becoming closer to a few students including top student Yu Su-bin (Kim Hyang-gi).

Photo Credit: JTBC/Netflix

Moment of Eighteen (2019)

As they develop their friendship and open up about their deepest secrets to one another, they fall in love for the first time.

Photo Credit: JTBC/Netflix

Extraordinary You (2019)

Extraordinary You features a very unique first love story. Eun Dan-o (Kim Hye-yoon) discovers she’s a character in a comic book and decides to fight back against the destiny written out for her. She meets a nameless student (Rowoon) and they develop a romance behind the scenes.

Photo Credit: MBC/Netflix

Extraordinary You (2019)

It turns out that their attraction to one another extends from a previous comic book they were in. Despite the writer creating different fates for them, they continue to pursue their love for each other.

Photo Credit: MBC/Netflix

Love in the Moonlight (2016)

Love in the Moonlight is another coming-of-age story, but set in historical times. Hong Ra-on (Kim You-jung) disguises herself as a man in order to make a living. She meets the crown prince Lee Yeong (Park Bo-gum) when he is disguised as a nobleman and ends up becoming a eunuch.

Photo Credit: KBS/Netflix

Love in the Moonlight (2016)

Later, the crown prince develops feelings for Ra-on believing that she is a man. Their love progresses as the crown prince finds out about Ra-on’s true identity and they discover that past events intertwine their lives.

Photo Credit: KBS/Netflix

Still 17 (2018)

Still 17 shows that it’s never too late to experience first love. Wu Seo-ri (Shin Hye-sun) and Gong Wu-jin (Yang Se-jong) have a fateful encounter on a bus when they are 17 years old.

Photo Credit: SBS/Netflix

Still 17 (2018)

Unfortunately, Seo-ri is still on the bus when it gets into a multi-vehicle car wreck. After being in a coma for 13 years, she wakes up as a 30-year-old. Meanwhile, Wu-jin lives traumatized due to guilt about the accident. They meet unexpectedly again and fall in love for the first time without knowing about their past connection.

Photo Credit: SBS/Netflix

Radio Romance (2018)

Radio Romance features a first love story between top star Ji Soo-ho (Yoon Du-jun) and radio program writer Song Geu-rim (Kim So-hyun). While Soo-ho is very popular, he’s actually very withdrawn and lonely. Geu-rim is very passionate about radio, but struggles to get ahead until she succeeds in getting Soo-ho to host a new radio show.

Photo Credit: KBS/Netflix

Radio Romance (2018)

While working together, the pair fall in love and Soo-ho opens up about his past trauma and guilt. As he reveals the truth about past events, a heartbreaking childhood connection between the leads is revealed.

Photo Credit: KBS/Netflix

Reply 1988 (2015)

Reply 1988 tells the story of five friends and their families who live in the same neighborhood. There are many different first love stories for various characters, but the main one is a love triangle involving Sung Deok-sun (Lee Hye-ri), Choi Taek (Park Bo-gum), and Kim Jung-hwan (Ryu Jun-yeol).

Photo Credit: tvN

Reply 1988 (2015)

Experiencing love for the first time, things don’t always go smoothly for our characters. These romantic mishaps make the heartbreak all the more engaging. There’s also double the nostalgia since the show is set in retro 1988.

Photo Credit: tvN

More Than Friends (2020)

Due to a misunderstanding, Lee Soo (Ong Seong-Wu) and Kyung Woo-Yeon (Shin Ye-Eun) have held a crush on each other for over 10 years... but never quite act on it, never confessing their mutual feelings for each other. 10 years later, Woo Yeon still harbors this crush on her friend Lee Soo, a photographer.

More Than Friends (2020)

With feelings ten years in the making, all these memories of love and sweetness compounded, Woo Yeon and Lee Soo begin to realize their feelings for each other and these feelings finally come to light.