Between Regret and Reunion - Top Korean Dramas That... the Best Way!

There's something poignant about watching two people who were destined to be separated — only to discover, after struggle, time, and heartache, that they have to come back to each other. Korean dramas are not just romance stories — they explore the anguish between regret and reunion, where emotions are raw, the silences are heavy, and forgiveness is the greatest act of heroism.

These melodramas don't promise fairy-tale endings. They promise healing at the cost of pain. And somehow, they render every agony worthwhile. Below are 12 Korean melodramas that ache so good — and remind us that even in the aftermath of the biggest regret, love can return.

1. Thirty But Seventeen (2018)

Woo Seo-ri wakes up from a 13-year coma and must face a world that went by. Gong Woo-jin, with his own inner guilt over the past, is her muted refuge. This is a second-chance, regretful, bereft love story they never hoped for.

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2. Now, We Are Breaking Up (2021)

This melodrama asks: can two lovers just walk away? Ha Young-eun and Yoon Jae-guk fall in love, but life, loss, and timing always separate them. It's grown-up, painful, and full of lost opportunities — until they see one another again with other hearts.

3. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018)

A dark past bearer who is also an orphan finds his existence lit up by a woman — but they share a connection based on tragedy that neither of them is aware of. This is one prolonged, gradual heartbreak that unfolds much after the credits.

4. Uncontrollably Fond (2016)

A film star and documentary filmmaker were once worlds unto themselves. Now, they're strangers filled with hurt, deceit, and terminal illness. To watch them try to love anew, with death at the door, is heartbreakingly beautiful. If you need a drama that shatters you softly, this is it.

5. Because This Is My First Life (2017)

An unconventional contract marriage becomes a real relationship — but when emotions get stronger, they both end up regretting their choices. Watching Nam Se-hee and Yoon Ji-ho struggle through fear, silence, and the revelation of love makes their reunion such a cozy respite.

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6. Come and Hug Me (2018)

How can you love someone if your dad murdered her family? This haunting story is about two childhood sweethearts torn apart by a crime, trauma, and years. Their reunion is bittersweet and delicate — but healing in ways that will shatter your heart.

7. Lost (2021)

This is not a typical love story. Two people get together after they've lost hope in themselves. Theirs is a delicate relationship, almost too real to be witnessed. There is no epic romance or fairy tale — just soft, slow burns of heartache and an unspoken reunion of two broken souls.

8. Our Beloved Summer (2021)

Years after a breakup in high school, former flames are forced to reunite for a documentary. Old wounds become reawakened, and their lingering emotions cut deeper than expected. It's light on the surface, but deep down — it's forgiveness, timing, and loving someone whether it's convenient or not.

9. Just Between Lovers (2017)

Two survivors of a catastrophic accident run into each other years later. Their shared trauma creates a fragile romance filled with guilt, comfort, and emotional rescue. Every glance, every line in this melodrama drips with feeling — the kind that makes you sob alone at 3 a.m.

10. More Than Friends (2020)

Ten years of missed chances and misunderstandings. That's the gist of this maddening, gorgeous story. Lee Soo and Kyung Woo-yeon were always almost in love — but always at the wrong moment. Their regret is tangible, and their reunion? Bittersweet to the extreme.

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11. A Piece of Your Mind (2020)

This is the quietest heartbreak you’ll ever watch. A man obsessed with a past love finds unexpected solace in a sound engineer grieving her own losses. Their love grows like a whisper — filled with longing, memory, and the slow undoing of sorrow.

12. My Liberation Notes (2022)

More poem than play, this production delves deeply into loneliness, isolation, and the act of being half-asleep. Mr. Gu and Mi-jeong's relationship is understated and electric. Meeting with them is like breathing after ten years of held breath.

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