Romantic Korean Movies for Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is today and you’ve got nothing planned?? No worries! Here’s a list of romantic Korean movies to pair with a candlelit home cooked meal (or food ordered and lovingly placed on plates 😉).

These are perfect for snuggling up with your sweetheart…or by yourself and a glass of wine! And don’t forget a box of tissues because any of these will have you in tears!

 

Bittersweet Heartbreak Movies

• Il Mare (formerly Siworae) (2000) 105 min. – Did you ever see “The Lakehouse” with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock? That’s the American version of this movie that came out about four years before that one. Yeah, I didn’t know that either when I saw “The Lakehouse”! If you didn’t see it, here’s the lowdown…A woman moves out of a house to move back into the city but leaves a note in the mailbox asking the new resident to forward her mail. A man moves in to that house and find her note, only it’s two years later. Yes, there’s a time warp in the mail box and the two people are able to exchange letters through it. Heartwarming romance and heartbreak ensues.

 

• A Moment to Remember (2004) 117 min. – This movie is about a couple (played by Jung Woo-sung and Son Ye-jin) whose love is tested when the woman is afflicted with a rare form of alzheimer’s. It’s like the Korean version of “The Notebook” and it’s just as much of a tearjerker!

 

• Once in a Summer (2006) 121 min. – This movie won the Chunsa Film Art Awards in 2007 for Best Film and Best Director (Joh Keun-shik). It’s a melodrama about the blossoming love of a city boy (Lee Byung-hun) and a country girl (Soo Ae) during a tumultuous time.

 

• Always (2011) 108 min. – This is another version of boy gets girl, boy loses girl, then boy gets girl back…or does he? You’ll have to watch to find out! So Ji Sub plays a bad boy boxer who turns his life around for the love of a blind girl (Han Hyo-joo). So Ji Sub is in his element with the role and his performance will have you cheering him on!

 

• A Werewolf Boy (2012) 122 min. – An elderly woman recounts the time in her life when she met wild and unkempt boy (Son Joong-Ki) in the country. She (Park Bo-young) tries to tame him and they grow closer. Unfortunately, angry villagers enter the picture and the two have to go to splitsville. Ugh, angry villagers ruin everything!

 

Romantic-Comedies

These will make you laugh and cry!

• Miracle of a Giving Fool or BA:BO (2008) 99 min. – Based on a webtoon of the same name by Kang Full, this story is about a man (played by Cha Tae-hyun) who is left with a childlike mind after an accident. In case you didn’t know, “babo” in Korean means idiot or fool. But you’d be the fool to underestimate this guy because he’s still able to save those he cares about.

 

• The Beauty Inside (2015) 127 min. – Catch this one before the American remake, which was just announce in January 2017. This movie is considered a “high-concept” film even though it’s a romantic comedy. And it’s no wonder because it’s about a man who wakes up every day in a different body. That different body could be a different gender, age, and even nationality! Yet, the woman the man loves, knows about all this and loves him anyway! So it hits on some hot topics regarding stereotypes, gender roles and even ageism. This one is definitely not to be missed!

You really can’t go wrong with any of these! Let me know how it goes and have a fantastic Valentine’s Day!