5 sad K-dramas with endings that'll rip your heart out

Among the many genres that the Korean entertainment industry masterfully aces, sad K-dramas are unquestionably among the best and most well-received. While there's quite an abundance of sad shows out there, it's surely those with heartbreaking endings that make the most impact.

Unlike the fairytale-like worlds that certain K-dramas allow us to escape into, these shows expose the heartbreaking realities of love and life. As fans root for the main characters through their trials and tribulations, their inability to escape them breaks the audience's heart.

---

From historical fiction to modern period shows: 5 sad K-dramas with endings that'll leave you super emotional

1) Twenty-five Twenty-one

The show that dominated the K-drama industry in 2022, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, starring Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk, easily sits on the list of sad K-dramas. It revolves around the story of an ambitious fencer and a journalist who's rebuilding his life from scratch. As the two spend the most vulnerable time of their lives with each other, they naturally develop a deeper bond.

However, societal norms and other inevitable barriers to life are thrown at them, preventing their love from blossoming fully. Following the heartbreaking ending that it left the audience with, fans couldn't quite get past the show weeks after its final episode.

---

2) Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Released in 2016, the show stars many significant faces in the industry such as IU, Lee Jong-gi, EXO's Baekhyun, Kang Ha-neul, Nam Joo-hyuk, and Hong Jong-hyun. Easily earning its place on the list of sad K-dramas, the story revolves around the star-crossed romance between the then-future king of the Goryeo Dynasty and a woman from the present who traveled 1000 years back in time.

As the female lead time travels into the body of personnel inside the Royal Palace, her major goal becomes to rewrite the future King's narrative. While she aims to change the many misinterpretations that history has of him, she also finds herself falling for him. However, obstacles in power hierarchies and time separate them.

---

3) Mr. Sunshine

Next in line on the list of sad K-dramas is Mr. Sunshine, starring Kim Tae-ri and Lee Bung-hyun. Released in 2018, the show revolves around the story of a young boy from a poor family who ended up in the U.S. after the 1871 Shinmiyangyo incident. As he returns to his homeland after years, he takes up the position of an officer in the American military.

Another star-crossed romance blossoms between him and Ae-sin, the granddaughter of a wealthy family. As they both try to fight for their country while their love faces obstacles due to caste and political differences, the story snowballs into a heartbreaking sacrifice made by the male lead to protect his love.

---

4) The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

Another one among the most appreciated sad K-dramas in the industry is The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, starring Seo In-guk and Jung So-min. As the two main leads fall in love with each other, they are suddenly faced with the shocking reality of their past connections. When the female lead regains her memories, their relationship takes a complicated turn, which grows into a tragedy.

The show deals with the suffering and scars of their past, which they bond over. While their love grows passionately despite the many struggles they pass through, the series comes to a tragic stop when they both die at each other's hands.

---

5) Youth Of May

The last on the list of sad K-dramas is yet another period show, Youth of May, starring Lee Do-hyun and Go Min-si. It showcases the narrative of a doctor and a nurse who are made to pursue each other through an arranged marriage. Regardless, love blooms between the two as they spend more time with each other.

But when one realizes that the show takes place in the 1980s, during the Gwangju Uprising, tragedy enters the picture. Standing by its name as the king of sad endings, the show wrecks the audience's hearts when their love fails to win through the struggles and hardships of the political backdrop.

---

With quite a handful of sad K-dramas to keep fans helplessly sobbing at the crooked yer realistic fate of the main characters, the industry has won people's hearts again.