6 Historical Korean Dramas with Tragic Love, Will Make You Cry

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Historical Korean dramas have a unique way of telling love stories that stay with you long after the screen goes dark. Set in royal courts and ancient kingdoms, these stories often show love that is strong but impossible to keep. The people in them face war, power struggles, and cruel fate. Many viewers find that historical Korean dramas bring out emotions that modern dramas simply cannot match.

If you are ready to feel all of that, here are six historical Korean dramas with tragic love stories that will make you cry.

First on our list is this MBC epic starring Lee Yo-won and Kim Nam-gil. We follow Deokman, a princess sent away from the palace at birth. A powerful noblewoman named Mishil wanted the throne and saw her as a threat. After years of hardship, Deokman returns to fight for her place as ruler of Silla. Directed by Park Hong-kyun, this drama is a painful reminder that love and power rarely go together.

Starring Ha Ji-won and Ji Chang-wook, this drama follows Ki Seung-nyang, a woman who hides as a man to survive. She is taken to the Yuan court against her will. There, she falls into a painful love triangle that tears her in two directions. Directed by Han Hee, the story is full of sacrifice and heartbreak. She becomes an empress, but the love she left behind never truly fades.

Directed by Kim Kyu-tae, this drama is one of the most beloved tragic love stories in K-drama history. During a solar eclipse, a modern woman is pulled back to the Goryeo Dynasty. She wakes up surrounded by princes who compete fiercely for the throne. She falls for the feared and scarred 4th Prince, Wang So. Starring Lee Joon-gi and IU, the ending leaves most viewers completely heartbroken.

Next up is this MBC fantasy romance based on a popular manhwa. We follow Kim Sung-yeol, a nobleman turned vampire after losing the woman he loved. He has spent 120 years hunting an evil vampire who secretly controls the throne. His path changes when he meets Jo Yang-sun, a bookseller hiding her true identity. Starring Lee Joon-gi and directed by Lee Sung-joon, this drama proves that tragic love can even outlast death.

Starring Park Min-young and Yeon Woo-jin, this drama tells a heartbreaking story rooted in real Joseon history. Shin Chae-kyung becomes queen, only to be expelled from the palace after just seven days. Rival political factions force the king to let her go. After her removal, the king walked to a pavilion daily to gaze toward the mountain where she lived. Directed by Lee Jung-sub, it is a quiet and devastating love story.

Closing our list is this beloved MBC drama directed by Jung Ji-in. It stars Lee Junho and Lee Se-young as two people whose love is never simple. Prince Yi San falls deeply in love with a court lady named Sung Deok-im. She is strong-willed and values her freedom above all else. For a long time, she resists his feelings before finally accepting him. Based on a true story, their love ends in one of the saddest farewells in Korean drama history.