Between Lies and Loyalty - Korean Dramas That Test Love Between Man and Woman!

What if the person you love best is now the person you trust least? In Korean dramas, love between a man and woman is not always rose petals and happily ever after. Sometimes it's messy, built on lies, torn apart by betrayals, and re-stitched with loyalty that cannot be broken. These stories go very far into that tension — that thin space where love exists between deceptions and loyalty.

Here are 12 Korean dramas that test the power of love with duplicitous truths, painful betrayals, and the ultimate question: can trust prevail?

1. Flower of Evil (2020)

Baek Hee-sung (Lee Joon-gi) hides his true identity from his wife, Cha Ji-won (Moon Chae-won), a detective. When she investigates a string of murders with links to his history, their marriage begins to collapse. Even when lies stack upon lies, though, the love that they have for each other ispainfully authentic — which makes the deception so devastating.

2. The World of the Married (2020)

This is not drama — it's war by emotion. Ji Sun-woo (Kim Hee-ae) learns her life and husband (Park Hae-joon) are a fabrication. A dark, twisted rollercoaster of revenge, obsession, and the ugliest look at what happens when love and love become tainted by lies ensues.

3. Eve (2022)

In this revenge drama, Lee Ra-el (Seo Yea-ji) plans a deliberate revenge on the man who destroyed her family. But as emotions become jumbled and genuine feelings surface, loyalty becomes a weapon and love becomes fatal. Every moment is akin to walking on a tightrope between passion and destruction.

4. Cheese in the Trap (2016)

Yoo Jung (Park Hae-jin) is good-looking, smart — and maybe hiding something sinister. Hong Seol (Kim Go-eun) falls in love with him but never quite understands whether she is looking at the real man or not. This drama plays tricks on perception, showing how even love can be fooled when secrets are hidden.

5. Revenant (2023)

In this terrifying blend of horror and mystery, Gu San-yeong (Kim Tae-ri) gets haunted — literally and figuratively. Yeom Hae-sang (Oh Jung-se) wants to help her, but neither of them has any clue who they can trust, especially because supernatural forces start threatening to blur the line between reality and insanity. Their connection is strong, but trust? That's the real battle.

6. Nonetheless (2021)

Park Jae-eon (Song Kang) is charming but emotionally unavailable. Yoo Na-bi (Han So-hee) is cleverer — but she goes for it anyway. The drama tests the game of desire of a man who keeps you close but never close enough, testing how far one will go for a love that might not be true.

7. Lie After Lie (2020)

Ji Eun-soo (Lee Yu-ri) is charged with killing her husband and losing her child. She comes back years later and falls in love with Kang Ji-min (Yeon Jung-hoon), who just happens to have adopted her daughter. Because she keeps her past a secret so she can stay near her daughter, every moment of love is based upon a painful lie — and yet the love that develops is painfully genuine.

8. My Secret Romance (2017)

Following a night of passion, Jin-wook (Sung Hoon) and Yoo-mi (Song Ji-eun) run into each other years later as co-workers — but she keeps their past a secret. This drama is sweet and light, but it's really a story about secrets, longing, and if love can grow in the silence of what isn't being said.

9. Tempted (2018)

Inspired by Les Liaisons dangereuses, this drama has Kwon Shi-hyun (Woo Do-hwan) try to seduce Eun Tae-hee (Joy) for a bet. But when actual feelings begin to grow, his first deception nearly ruins everything. Can love built on lies be genuine?

10. VIP (2019)

This low-key thriller in the high-end retail world digs up secrets layer by layer. Jung Sun (Jang Na-ra) starts suspecting her husband (Lee Sang-yoon) of cheating on her — and finds herself in a world of betrayals, not just romantic but personal and professional. Love is tested, trust is shattered, and survival depends on choosing between loyalty and pride.

11. Mine (2021)

In a world where there is wealth and power, two women struggle for their selves and their place in society. Although the universal theme is a bit more on the women, the love tales here — specifically those hidden under power games and silent betrayals — are fraught with tension over loyalty and deception.

12. The Glory (2022–2023)

Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) manipulates her high school bullies into revenge. Joo Yeo-jeong (Lee Do-hyun), a man with his own painful history, falls in love with her and allows himself to be used by her as her sword. He knows she's using him — but stays on. His love, obstinate and otherworldly, redefines the dictionary when it comes to loving someone hooked on pain.