Edited by Hong Hyun Jung
Translated by Yu Jin Kim
10. Be With You (2017)
Be With You is a Korean remake of a Japanese movie with the same title, starring Yuko Takeuchi. The film caught people’s attention because of its already well-known original movie and the lead roles played by Son Ye Jin and So Ji Sub. Thankfully, the movie lived up to viewers’ expectations upon release, with Son Ye Jin receiving praise for her impressive melodramatic acting. It debuted at the top of the South Korean box office and crossed the break-even point within 11 days of its release. Ultimately, a total of 2,602,273 moviegoers in South Korea watched the film.
9. Cyrano agency (2010)
Cyrano Agency is a film based on the French movie Cyrano, featuring Gérard Depardieu. The plot revolves around four staff members of a dating agency and their clients. Although it ranked third on the day of its release, positive word-of-mouth helped it to climb to the number one spot on the box office chart nine days later. In total, 2,731,828 moviegoers in South Korea watched the film.
8. On Your Wedding Day (2018)
On Your Wedding Day is a top-notch romance movie about first love alongside Architecture 101. It received a lot of love for its relatable episodes and realistic narrative. Park Bo Young’s lovely charm and Kim Young Kwang’s impressive acting also added to the film’s intrigue. It debuted safely as the top-grossing film and broke even on the 10th day of its release, attracting over 1.5 million viewers. In total, the film was watched by 2,820,969 moviegoers.
7. Crazy Romance (2019)
Crazy Romance is a romantic-comedy movie about a man and a woman who have gone through heartbreaks in their past and end up falling in love while working together. The film features veteran actors Gong Hyo Jin and Kim Rae Won, who display great chemistry despite having different views on dating and breakups. Although the movie came in second to Joker at the box office on its opening weekend, it surpassed the break-even point just 8 days later and attracted over 1.5 million viewers. In total, 2,924,563 people watched the film, making it a success.
6. Spellbound (2011)
Spellbound, starring Son Ye Jin and Lee Min Gi, is a unique romantic film that tells the love story between a magician and a woman who sees ghosts. Despite debuting at the second spot following The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, the movie quickly took the top spot at the box office the second weekend after its release. The film surpassed the break-even point on its 11th day of release, drawing over 1.3 million viewers. In total, the movie was seen by 3,009,406 moviegoers.
5. My Little Bride (2004).
My Little Bride became a sensation in South Korea and made Moon Geun Young the “South Korean sweetheart.” While the movie’s plot, centered on an arranged marriage between a 24-year-old college student and a 16-year-old high school student arranged by her grandfather, may seem outdated now, Moon Geun Young’s cute charm is what made the movie so popular at the time. The film ranked second at the box office following the 2004 movie Taegukgi, which attracted over 10 million viewers. In total, My Little Bride was watched by 3,149,500 moviegoers.
4. Architecture 101 (2012)
Architecture 101 paved the way for romantic movies that evoke nostalgia, such as Twenty-Five Twenty-One and 20th Century Girl. The film interweaves between the 1990s and the present, bringing back fond memories of the past. Despite its off-season release in March, it was a huge success, surpassing the break-even point just 11 days after its debut and drawing in over 1.5 million viewers. In total, the movie was watched by 4,110,645 moviegoers.
3. My Sassy Girl (2000, 4,882,495명)
If we had to choose the best rom-com movie of the 2000s, it would undoubtedly be My Sassy Girl. It’s based on a popular web novel of the same name and tells the hilarious yet heartwarming love story of a man and a woman. The film’s success exceeded all expectations and it was even remade in the US and India, and adapted into a drama featuring Joo Won and Oh Yeon Seo. Thanks to the movie’s success, the then-rookie actress Jun Ji Hyun quickly became a big star. The film surpassed the break-even point 33 days after its release and attracted over 4 million viewers. In total, an estimated 4.88 million moviegoers watched the film.
2. My Tutor Friend (2003)
In the early 2000s, romance movies based on online serial novels gained immense popularity. One of these films, My Tutor Friend, starring Kim Ha Neul and Kwon Sang Woo, was particularly beloved. According to Max Movie, a movie booking website, My Tutor Friend stayed in the Top 10 list for 24 consecutive weeks. The two stars became even more famous thanks to their performances in the movie and later reunited in another romance movie titled Almost Love. A sequel to the film was also released, featuring Lee Chung Ah and Park Ki Woong in the lead roles. Overall, My Tutor Friend was a massive success, attracting a total of 4,937,573 moviegoers.
1. A Werewolf Boy (2012)
Song Joong Ki and Park Bo Young’s 2012 film, A Werewolf Boy, holds the highest box office record among South Korean romance movies to date. Despite being released in November, an off-season for movies, it attracted 1 million moviegoers within just five days. Park Bo Young continued her lucky streak following Scandal Makers, while Song Joong Ki was in the spotlight thanks to the success of his drama, The Innocent Man. Although the movie was watched by a total of 6,654,837 people, the number actually surpassed 7 million viewers, including those who watched the extended version that hit theaters in December of the same year.
Edited Hong Hyun Jung: I am a K-content guide who publishes various articles for people to enjoy Korean movies and dramas deeper and richer. I’ll introduce you to the works that you can laugh, cry and sympathize with.
