Between First Love and Final Goodbye - Korean Dramas That Hurt the Most!

First love is typically depicted as innocent, pure, and memorable, and the final goodbye is what we all fear — the emotional cutoff that scars us no matter how much time passes. These are explored in Korean dramas with such intensity that they leave one shattered, but strangely grateful for the emotional rollercoaster ride. It is the transition from the innocent sweetness of first love to the devastating impact of a final goodbye that makes for such dramas to be remembered.

These 12 Korean dramas tug at your heartstrings, proving that love, whether first or last, can be the most beautiful yet most painful experience of all. Each one gets under the skin, showing a raw and emotional ride from first love to final goodbyes.

1. One Spring Night (2019)

One Spring Night is the story of Lee Jeong-in (Han Ji-min) who falls for a man, Yoo Ji-ho (Jung Hae-in), with a troubled past. The drama is a low-key romance story, but it's filled with scenes of uncertainty, sacrifice, and ultimately, the inevitable farewell that looms over their heads. The beauty of the first love is present, but the rawness of the final farewell hits you, showing that sometimes, regardless of how much you want it to, love doesn't conquer all.

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2. A Moment to Remember (2004)

This weeper of a film tells the story of Su-jin (Son Ye-jin), a woman diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, and her husband, Chul-su (Jung Woo-sung), who is powerless to do anything but watch as the woman he loves slowly forgets him. Their love story is sweet, with first love moments, but the farewell at the end is devastating as Su-jin forgets their love. It's a tragic reminder of how love can be both forever and fleeting.

3. Autumn in My Heart (2000)

The quintessential melodrama, Autumn in My Heart plunges into the deep and tragic relationship of two childhood friends who are separated and reunited, only to find that destiny has conspired against them to be apart. Those blissful moments of first love are pitted against the agony of the inevitable final goodbye because their love is forbidden on the basis of a devastating family secret. The emotional depth of this drama is second to none, and the farewell at the conclusion will have you weeping long after it finishes.

4. Goblin (2016-2017)

Goblin is the story of an immortal who is timeless, Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), who is cursed to live forever, waiting for the time when his bride will end his life. His love for Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun) is a stunning mix of first love and final goodbye, as their passionate love is poignant and beautiful. Death and separation are woven into their love, and the final goodbye becomes inevitable and heart-wrenching, as they must say goodbye to one another in the name of destiny.

5. The Winter, the Wind Blows (2013)

In The Winter, the Wind Blows, the leads' romance is tinged with regret and melancholy. As the couple works through the bitter past of betrayal, the path to reconciliation is paved with passionate emotion. The story of first love slowly destroyed by betrayal and culminating in the final goodbye is one of the most heartbreaking, gut-wrenching tales in recent memory. It is a drama that explores the complexities of love, wherein sometimes the pain of goodbyes can outweigh the thrill of falling in love.

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6. I'm Sorry, I Love You (2004)

Cha Moo-hyuk (So Ji-sub) in I'm Sorry, I Love You is someone who's lived a troubled life, betrayal and hurt occupying each corner of it, to discover belatedly that what he's been looking for is the love that got away. The drama follows his journey back to the woman he loves, but due to past mistakes, he's forced to face the final goodbye before he can ever experience the love he's always longed for. The pain of first love lost, capped with a tragic ending, will leave you heartbroken.

7. That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013)

This drama centers on Oh Soo (Jo In-sung), a man who meets a blind woman named Oh Young (Song Hye-kyo) and becomes involved in a fabricated relationship that turns out to be real. Their love is intense, but hurtful, as both are haunted by past betrayals and the foretold doom of their love. The pain of their first love is paired with the finality of their last goodbye, leaving viewers to wonder if true love is worth the heartache.

8. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018)

In The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, a man with a troubled past falls in love with a woman who is unaware of his dark history. The chemistry between the leads is palpable, and the drama sweeps viewers through a rollercoaster of intense passion, real love, and tragic loss. The farewell in this drama is a painful one, as the leads have to face the reality of their love and the way it has to end.

9. Uncontrollably Fond (2016)

In this drama, two young lovers are reunited as adults, only to face a tragic destiny. Shin Joon-young (Kim Woo-bin) is a celebrity actor who is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and his reunion with No Eul (Bae Suzy) leads them to reminisce about their shared love, which has been present in their lives in spite of years of being apart. The drama delves deeply into the pain of losing someone to death and the weeping goodbye that will always be there, even after the first love is over.

10. Love Rain (2012)

Love Rain is a lovely, though sad, story about two people who fall in love in two time periods. The parents' first love is sweet, but the final goodbye is with loss and separation. Their kids, decades later, fall into the same patterns of love, but their love is also overshadowed by the pain and subsequent separation that marks the drama. The drama emphasizes how love withstands the test of time but is normally marred by the inevitability of separation.

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11. Secret Garden (2010-2011)

In Secret Garden, the love affair between Kim Joo-won (Hyun Bin) and Gil Ra-im (Ha Ji-won) is unforgettable, intense, and refreshingly complicated by the fantastical body-swapping device. Although their love begins with a hint of fantasy, it gets a lot more painful as they grapple with making sense of their feelings in the real world. The final goodbye, though not entirely inevitable, is poignant and painful, with both protagonists forced to choose between sacrifice and affection.

12. Descendants of the Sun (2016)

Although Descendants of the Sun is predominantly a story about military life and duty, the narrative arc of Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) and Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) and their emotional journey is the heart of the drama. Their first love is pure and passionate, but with their love being confronted with endless life-and-death situations, the final goodbye becomes a reality that no one wants to deal with. In spite of this, their love becomes stronger, and the inevitable separation proves to be even more tragic.

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