20 Most Tragic K-Drama Endings, Ranked

Although Korean dramas are heavy with tropes and cliches, one thing is for certain: they tell a beautiful story of friendship and love. Known mostly for their love stories, Korean dramas examine love in a variety of different genres. There are love stories in fantasy settings (Alchemy of Souls), love stories in science fiction settings (Memories of the Alhambra, I Am Not a Robot), and love stories in thrillers (Happiness, Healer). It’s hard not to find a good love story in K-dramas.

However, while there are plenty of love stories in Korean dramas, not all of them have happily ever afters. There are few K-dramas with perfect endings (Boys Over Flowers, Fated to Love You), but there are plenty with a happy ending (Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Touch Your Heart). But what about those with not-so-happy endings? While K-dramas might be good at telling romantic stories that will make viewers swoon, they are also notorious for creating devastating endings that cause viewers to sob and bawl their eyes out. But which Korean dramas have tragic endings? Here are the saddest K-dramas on the market.

20

‘Mr. Sunshine’ (2018)

Image via Netflix

As one of the best historical K-dramas ever, Mr. Sunshine is one of those shows that will win you over with its beautiful costumes, cinematography, music, acting, and the whole deal. It’s perfect in every sense of the word because it combines real life with fiction, depicting a tragic love story amid political turmoil. Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri find their way to each other as people coming from opposite sides of life to fight the same fight. Mr. Sunshine is about Korean independence and history, but it’s equally about a romance between two people whose sacrifice remains burned into memory. It’s a sad ending, though expected in a way.

Mr. Sunshine is set in early 20th-century Joseon, following the Japanese occupation of Korea. Eugene Choi (Lee), a Korean-born American marine, returns home and meets and falls in love with Go Ae-shin (Kim), the daughter of an aristocrat and a hidden independence fighter. They bond through their shared cause and fall in love, but their romance is followed by a lot of sacrifice. The cost of freedom haunts the entire series, especially the ending, when Eugene sacrifices himself to protect Ae-shin and their cause.

19

‘Hotel Del Luna’ (2019)

Image via Netflix 

The beloved sci-fi/fantasy K-series, Hotel Del Luna, is often lauded for its originality and writing, but no one talks about that super sad ending. Jang Man-wol (IU) runs a supernatural hotel for spirits whose business on the mortal plane isn’t finished, or they aren’t ready to let it go. She’s spiritually chained to the hotel for eternity and can’t leave, so she develops an enjoyment of extravagant lifestyles—until she meets mortal manager Gu Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo). They form a bond and an unlikely romance develops, softening Man-wol and showing us more about the hotel.

In the end, after centuries of serving restless souls, Man-wol finds redemption and peace, but must move on to the afterlife alone. Chan-sung is left behind, on his own, too, with only memories of Man-wol to hold on to. While it’s a sort of happy ending for Man-wol, the breaking up of their romance and the relationship is tragically sad. Love transcends time, but can’t always transcend fate, and that’s what Hotel Del Luna mostly shows us.

18

‘What Happened In Bali’ (2004)

Image via Victory Contents

What Happened In Bali is one of the most underrated K-dramas of all time, and it’s a career-making drama for several of its leads. Zo In-sung and So Ji-sub are today’s legendary actors, and their presence on film and TV typically signals a good time. What Happened In Bali, though, is a great K-drama but very tragic, and has one of the saddest endings ever put on television. This didn’t prevent the drama from becoming popular, though it made lots of people feel sad during the final episode.

In What Happened In Bali, the heir of a rich family, Jae-min (Zo), goes to Bali and meets the local tour guide, Soo-jung (Ha Ji-won). He falls in love with her, despite being engaged to another rich kid, Young-joo (Park Ye-jin), while Young-joo has an ex-boyfriend, commoner In-wook (So), whom she still thinks about. This love square goes left and right and takes incredible turns during its 20-episode run. The show ends with Jae-min catching Soo-jung and In-wook in bed together; he kills them both, after telling Soo-jung he loves her, and then shoots himself on the beach in Bali.

17

‘Gu Family Book’ (2013)

Image via MBC

Kang-chi (Lee Seung-gi) is the half gumiho son of full-blooded gumiho Wol-ryung (Choi Jin-hyuk) and human Seo-hwa (Yoon Se-ah). Though he is not aware of his heritage because he is adopted into a noble family, he still manages to somehow attract trouble. After losing most of those he loves one fateful night, Kang-chi decides to find a way to become fully human. Warrior Dam Yeo-wool (Suzy Bae) follows him, and the two fall for each other.

Gu Family Book consists of two love stories that both end tragically. Throughout Kang-chi’s life, he is surrounded by death and tragedy, which makes for an emotional story. However, Kang-chi’s life begins to change upon meeting Yeo-wool, and he soon wants to become a human for her sake. However, at the end of the show, Yeo-wool passes away in Kang-chi’s arms, leaving him with an eternal life of grief.

16

‘Hi Bye, Mama!’ (2020)

Image via tvN

Get ready to cry your eyes out, because Hi Bye, Mama! isn’t simply a K-drama with a sad ending—it’s full to the brim with a certain melancholy and sadness that makes you smile and sob in waves. It captures the essence of a devoted mother’s love and sacrifice, even from a different spiritual plane. Kim Tae-hee stars as Yu-ri, the mama from the title, and she delivers a gut-wrenching performance. Hi Bye, Mama! is underrated, but you’ll love every minute if you’re into heartfelt family drama combined with gentle romance.

Hi Bye, Mama! follows Yu-ri (Kim), who gets hit by a car while nine months pregnant; the doctors save her daughter, but Yu-ri dies. Five years later, God grants her the opportunity to return to Earth and her old life, but she has to do it within 49 days. She returns and her husband, now remarried, is shocked at first, but then wishes for her to stay. In the end, Yu-ri decides to leave for the spirit world, realizing her continued presence would hurt her daughter more than anything. She sacrifices her own existence to make her daughter’s life comfortable, leaving the world behind for her sake.

15

‘Youth of May’ (2021)

Image via Story Hunter Production

During the Gwangju Uprising in 1980, medical student Hee-tae (Lee Do-hyun) decides to postpone his graduation due to personal trauma. His friend, Kyung-soo (Kwon Young-chan), wants to open an illegal clinic for those who are running from the Korean government. Then, during an arranged meeting, Hee-tae meets Myung-hee (Go Min-si), a headstrong nurse, and the two begin to fall in love with each other.

Though Youth of May is centered on the Gwangju Uprising, it focuses on the friendship and love that blossom during a terrible time. The love story in itself is a beautiful one, one that stems from dark times; however, Youth of May ends tragically, with Myung-hee being killed during the Gwangju Uprising. Her death serves to remind viewers of the very real event that overturned the lives of many Korean men and women, and this knowledge adds to the emotional intensity of the drama.

14

‘I’m Sorry, I Love You’ (2004)

Image via GROUP EIGHT

I’m Sorry, I Love You is one of the best K-dramas of the 2000s. It was critically praised, and So Ji-sub won numerous awards in South Korea for his portrayal of the tragic lead, Cha Moo-hyuk. So is joined by Im Soo-jung, and their chemistry is palpable, though their love story is a tragic one. I’m Sorry, I Love You makes for a compelling watch, but it’s pretty sad and won’t leave anyone without tears in their eyes.

I’m Sorry, I Love You follows Moo-hyuk (So), who is an orphan in Australia. His foster parents abandoned him, and he survived on the streets by pickpocketing. One day, he helps Eun-chae (Im), who is the assistant and lifelong friend of the famous actor, Choi Yoon (Jung Kyung-ho). Eun-chae is in love with Yoon, but Yoon doesn’t see her in the same way. Moo-hyuk and Eun-chae bond by sharing misfortune, and eventually fall in love. The drama ends with Moo-hyuk doing a selfless act — dying by suicide, so his heart could be transplanted to Yoon, who turns out to be his long-lost brother. Eun-chae grieves Moo-hyuk, and on the anniversary of his death, she visits his grave and drinks poison.

13

‘Uncontrollably Fond’ (2016)

Image via KBS2

Documentary producer No-eul (Suzy Bae) is assigned to direct and film the documentary of a famous singer. However, the only problem is that the famous singer is Shin Joon-young (Kim Woo-bin), her ex-boyfriend from high school. Though they had a complicated past and a rough breakup, their feelings are reignited as they spend more time together.

A beautiful love story from start to finish, Uncontrollably Fond tells a tale of first loves. However, despite this, there is tragedy in this love story, and the emotional performances from Kim Woo-bin and Bae Suzy are sure tearjerkers. Their passion and love for each other through their characters are clear, and when Woo Bin’s character dies, it’s hard not to shed a few tears at the grief and loss.

12

‘Stairway to Heaven’ (2003–2004)

Image via SBS

Childhood friends Cha Song-joo (Kwon Sang-woo) and Han Jung-suh (Choi Ji-woo) fall in love with each other as adults. When Jung-suh’s father remarries, she is mistreated by her stepsister and stepmother. These tensions lead to Jung-suh losing her memories, and Song-joo attempts to move on, though their love reignites when they meet again.

Stairway to Heaven is a popular Korean drama known for its emotional intensity. Though it is full of clichés and tropes seen in modern-day K-dramas, Stairway to Heaven is full of heart; viewers will find themselves rooting for both of the male leads who give themselves completely to Jung-suh. Their acts alone prove the length one is willing to go for those they love. However, Stairway to Heaven also delves into the loss of love at a young age, with Jung-suh passing away from her cancer. Stairway to Heaven might be one of the saddest K-dramas to exist.

11

‘A Love to Kill’ (2005)

Image via KBS

Rain and Shin Min-a star in A Love to Kill, one of the most tragic K-dramas of the 2000s (or ever). They portray two tragic, star-crossed lovers whose intense, passionate relationship is often derailed by grief, guilt, and anger. The romantic arc shatters with tragic consequences, and the finale leaves viewers with a sort of lingering sorrow that just hits differently. The love between the protagonists fails to heal all wounds, and their lives are just endlessly sad.

A Love to Kill follows an unfulfilled boxer, Bok-gu (Rain), who lives with the woman whose accident he caused as a teen. He doesn’t love her, but cares for her out of guilt. When Bok-gu’s brother survives a suicide attempt and ends up in a coma, Bok-gu realizes he did it out of despair of losing Eun-suk (Shin). Bok-gu starts infiltrating Eun-suk’s life to make her regret what happened, but the two end up falling in love. They both die in the end, and in each other’s arms; it’s so sad and difficult to watch, yet A Love to Kill is also dedicated to showing how powerful love truly is; it also shows that it’s not always enough.