Top 16 Romantic Thriller Korean Dramas (Love + Action)

Korean dramas are known for their unique plot, emotional characters that connect to your heart, beautiful soundtrack, and different tropes. No one can beat them in these elements.

Finding the perfect drama to watch in your free time is a heavy task as there are a lot of dramas available online to watch instantly. Ranging from action, and thriller, to romance, and comedy, Kdramas have many genres.

Romantic Thriller Kdramas

Thriller dramas are known for their enthralling storyline, plot twists, and fighting scenes. Romance dramas are known for their cheesy moments between the main leads and their love for each other.

What if you want both in a single drama? Here is the list of recommended romantic thriller Korean dramas where you’ll get the romance between the leads and their struggle to overcome all obstacles.

1. W: Two Worlds

Yeon Joo, who starts to read a webtoon ‘W’ written by her father is pulled into the webtoon world of W. While she is in the webtoon, she saves Kang Cheol, and becomes entangled in a murder mystery.

Cast –

• Han Hyo Joo as Oh Yeon Joo
• Lee Jong Suk as Kang Cheol
• Kim Eui Sung as Oh Sung Moo
• Lee Tae Hwan as Seo Do Yoon

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix, Viki

2. City Hunter

Lee Yoon Sung is a smart graduate of MIT who works on the Blue House’s international communications team. He makes plans with his surrogate father Lee Jin Pyo to get back at the five politicians who killed his father and becomes a “City Hunter.”

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Lee Min Ho as Lee Yoon Sung
• Park Min Young as Kim Na Na
• Lee Joon Hyuk as Kim Young Joo
• Kim Sang Joong as Lee Jin Pyo

No. Of Episodes: 20 (70 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

3. Healer

A long-forgotten event that hides dark truths brings together a well-known reporter, a less-known reporter, and a man with the code name “Healer.” The Healer starts to figure out how he and the two reporters know each other, which puts them all in danger.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Ji Chang Wook as Seo Jung Hoo
• Park Min Young as Chae Young Shin
• Yoo Ji Tae as Kim Moon Ho
• Kim Mi Kyung as Jo Min Ja

No. Of Episodes: 20 (60 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

4. I Hear Your Voice

Hye Sung becomes a lawyer & comes to a realization about society and justice after meeting Soo Ha, a boy who reads other people’s thoughts, and Kwan Woo, an innocent lawyer who lives a disciplined life. Together they solve the toughest cases.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Lee Jong Suk as Park Soo Ha
• Lee Bo Young as Jang Hye Sung
• Yoon Sang Hyun as Cha Kwan Woo
• Lee Da Hee as Seo Do Yeon

No. Of Episodes: 18 (60 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

5. Happiness

In the near future, a new apartment building has been built. The people who live there come from different places, but a new disease spreads quickly. It shows the psychological battle and the way that people from different classes treat each other.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Han Hyo Joo as Yoon Sae Bom
• Park Hyung Sik as Jung Yi Hyun
• Jo Woo Jin as Han Tae Seok
• Park Joo Hee as Ji Soo

No. Of Episodes: 12 (65 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

6. The K2

Je Ha is an ex-mercenary soldier who was wrongly blamed for killing his girlfriend. Yoo Jin, who is married to a man running for president, hires him as a bodyguard. An Na is the president’s secret daughter. They begin to develop feelings one another.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Ji Chang Wook as Kim Je Ha / K2
• Im Yoon Ah as Go An Na
• Song Yoon Ah as Choi Yoo Jin
• Jo Sung Ha as Jang Se Joon

No. Of Episodes: 16 (60 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

7. Vincenzo

Vincenzo, a mafia consigliere flees to South Korea to recover 1.5 tons of gold within the basement of Geumga Plaza. However, a company has illegally taken ownership of the building, and Vincenzo must use his skills to reclaim the building and recover his fortunes.

Cast –

• Song Joong Ki as Vincenzo Cassano
• Jeon Yeo Been as Hong Cha Young
• Ok Taec Yeon as Jang Jun Woo
• Kim Yeo Jin as Choi Myung Hee

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix

8. The King: Eternal Monarch

Set in two parallel worlds, the drama follows Emperor Lee Gon of the Kingdom of Corea, who discovers access to an alternate reality after crossing a mythical door where the Republic of Korea exists in the Kingdom’s stead.

Cast –

• Lee Min Ho as Lee Gon
• Kim Go Eun as Jung Tae Eul
• Woo Do Hwan as Jo Young
• Lee Jung Jin as Yi Rim

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix

9. While You Were Sleeping

Jae Chan, a prosecutor, decides to interfere in the course of events and ends up saving the lives of Hong Joo and Woo Tak. When the three of them start having dreams about one another, they realize that their lives are now somehow connected.

Cast –

• Bae Suzy as Nam Hong Ju
• Lee Jong Suk as Jung Jae Chan
• Jung Hae In as Han Woo Tak
• Lee Sang Yeob as Lee Yu Beom

No. Of Episodes – 32

Watch On – Viki, Kocowa

10. Vagabond

The stuntman Cha Dal Gun’s nephew dies in a plane crash. He learns that the plane crash was caused by a huge government scandal, and he and a NIS agent named Go Hae Ri set out to find out the truth and bring those responsible to justice.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Lee Seung Gi as Cha Dal Gun
• Bae Suzy as Go Hae Ri
• Shin Sung Rok as Gi Tae Ung
• Moon Jung Hee as Jessica Lee

No. Of Episodes: 16 (70 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

11. Come And Hug Me

When they were children, Na Moo and Nak Won were each other’s, first love. They are forced to break apart due to a tragedy. 12 years later Na Moo is a professional detective & Nak Won is a popular actress. They meet again & try to heal their wounds.

Cast –

• Jang Ki Yong as Yoon Na Moo
• Jin Ki Joo as Gil Nak Won
• Heo Joon Ho as Yoon Hui Jae
• Yoon Jong Hoon as Gil Moo Won

No. Of Episodes – 32

Watch On – Netflix, Viki

12. Pinocchio

Choi In Ha becomes a broadcast journalist, especially when she suffers from a condition “Pinocchio syndrome” which makes her break out into hiccups whenever she lies. Her colleague reporters pursue justice as they try to discover themselves in the process.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Lee Jong Suk as Choi Dal Po
• Park Shin Hye as Choi In Ha
• Kim Young Kwang as Seo Beom Jo
• Lee Yoo Bi as Yoon Yoo Rae

No. Of Episodes: 20 (58 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

13. When The Camellia Blooms

Dong Baek is a single mother who opens a bar named Camellia. Six years later, she meets Yong Sik, who declares his love for her. Meanwhile, a serial killer sets out to claim Dong Baek as his next victim, and Yong Sik protects her fiercely.

Cast –

• Gong Hyo Jin as Oh Dong Baek
• Kang Ha Neul as Hwang Yong Shik
• Kim Ji Suk as Kang Jong Ryul

No. Of Episodes – 20

Watch On – Netflix

14. He Is Psychometric

Lee An has a special psychometry ability. Whenever he touches someone, he can read that person’s memory. Using his ability, he wants to take out evil people in the world. Jae In is a girl with a scar in her mind. They happen to meet and struggle to solve cases.

Cast –

• Park Jin Young as Lee Ahn
• Shin Ye Eun as Yoon Jae In
• Kim Kwon as Kang Sung Mo
• Kim Da Som as Eun Ji Soo

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix, Viki

15. Remember: War Of The Sun

Seo Jin Woo has hyperthymesia, a condition that makes him remember life experiences in vivid detail. His father, wrongfully accused of murder, was tried and put on death row. Determined to prove his father’s innocence, Jin Woo uses his ability to save him.

Cast –

• Yoo Seung Ho as Seo Jin Woo
• Park Min Young as Lee In Ah
• Park Sung Woong as Park Dong Ho
• Namgoong Min as Nam Gyu Man

No. Of Episodes – 20

Watch On – Viki

16. Tale Of The Nine-Tailed

A gumiho named Lee Yeon abdicates his position as the guardian mountain spirit of Baekdudaegan to search for the reincarnation of his one true love, Ah Eum. While working on a mission, Yeon met Nam Ji Ah, a smart and dauntless producer at TVC Station.

Cast –

• Lee Dong Wook as Lee Yeon
• Jo Bo Ah as Nam Ji Ah / Ah Eum
• Kim Bum as Lee Rang
• Kim Yong Ji as Ki Yoo Ri

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix, Viki, Prime Video

Wrapping Up

So, these were some of the best romantic thriller dramas that you can watch. These Kdramas are exciting because of the action scenes and also heartwarming because of the romantic scenes.

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