20 Steamy K-Dramas You Should Watch Today

Summary

• The steamiest K-dramas aren’t just about sex, but also intimacy.
• K-Dramas don’t have a reputation for being particularly steamy, but many romances have increased their steamy scenes in recent years.
• Many of the steamiest K-dramas are about much more than the central relationship.

Directed by Park Hyun-jin, the Netflix romantic comedy Love and Leashes introduced many Western audiences to the world of steamy K-drama shows — but it’s far from the only one. Love and Leashes‘ BDSM spin on the classic romantic K-drama made it a somewhat shocking discovery for viewers unfamiliar with how quickly the genre has developed over the years. In the past, K-dramas have earned a reputation for being highly polished soap operas. Though many Korean dramas still fit this category, the storytelling has evolved significantly, and even some of the most seemingly traditional K-dramas put their own unique spins on conventional romantic tropes.

Nowhere is this more true than in the steamiest Korean dramas streaming online today. Love and Leashes is just one of the many sexy, steamy, or spicy K-dramas that subvert typical expectations about the genre. The steamiest K-dramas aren’t just about sex — they tackle intimacy, companionship, social taboos, love, and other themes in ways that less racy and steamy romantic K-dramas cannot. For those looking for Korean dramas that break away from the usual fare, these shows and movies turn up the heat in the romance genre.

20 King The Land

(2023)

It’s important to note that K-dramas aren’t known for their steamy content. Even romance K-dramas are more likely to imply physical aspects of a relationship or to include charged moments of flirting instead of giving the audience any kind of mature scene. That has slowly been changing in stories involving any kind of romance on Korean television, but it’s still much more likely for kissing scenes, like those in King The Land, to be considered the steamiest aspects of a K-drama than anything more overtly sexual.

King The Land doubles as a romantic comedy and an inheritance dramedy. The series follows the wealthy heir to a luxury hotel group and his interactions with one of the hotel’s employees whose smile he can’t seem to stand. Of course, there’s much more to their interactions than that, and the chemistry in the series is impressive.

19 Lovestruck In The City

(2020-2021)

Lovestruck In The City is closer to what audiences might think of as an American sitcom like Friends or New Girl. It follows a group of people in various stages of relationships while living in a big city in South Korea. The format of the series is set up similar to a documentary with the characters giving interviews about their relationships, and it’s got the flirtatious leanings of rom-coms like King The Land and Forecasting Love And Weather.

It doesn’t feature as much steamy content as some of the other K-dramas here, but what it does feature is one of the best first kisses in K-dramas to date. Critics often compare the characters of Park Jae-won and Choi Kyeong-jun to the best-known will-they-or-won’t-they couple on television, Ross and Rachel of Friends.

18 Melting Me Softly

(2019)

Also called Melt Me, Melting Me Softly is a blend of romance and science fiction. The two main characters agree to participate in an experiment in which they will be frozen for 24 hours to see the effects. Unfortunately, something goes wrong with the experiment and the two end up frozen for 20 years. When they wake, not only do they have to catch up on two decades worth of events, but they also have to deal with very physical limitations to how much they can interact with others, which is, paradoxically, where the steam comes into play.

It’s the tension between the characters that leads to some of the show’s steamier moments. The two have to maintain lower heart rates and gradually increase their body temperatures to avoid any damage to their bodies. As their attraction to one another grows, that becomes nearly impossible, leading to the two characters kissing under the stream of a cold shower to keep themselves out of any danger at one point.

17 The Forbidden Marriage

(2022-2023)

A series set in a historic Korean era that involves a marriage ban and a con artist might not seem like it would include much heat, but surprisingly, it does. Both a historical drama and a romantic comedy, the series follows a young woman who acts as a matchmaker despite marriage being outlawed by the king. The king’s grief over the loss of his wife leads to the ban, but when the matchmaker tries to get out of prison by saying she’s possessed by the spirit of his late wife, things get complicated.

There’s a clear attraction between the two despite the matchmaker denying it. She implies the king is ugly at one point, leading him to remove his clothing in her presence to prove a point. The tension comes from whether he will discover the truth behind her lies, but along the way, there are plenty of heated moments between the two.

16 Secret Love Affair

(2014)

It has to be noted that Secret Love Affair, or Secret Affair as it is also known, is not a romantic comedy. Many of the K-dramas known for their steamier moments are much more comedic than this series. Instead, it leans much closer to melodrama and it serves to provide a lot of social commentary on how Korean society views romantic relationships.

The series follows a woman in her 40s who allows everyone around her to believe that she’s led a completely fulfilling life. She is married and successful, but for her, there’s something missing. When she falls for a pianist in his 20s, she realizes she’s experiencing love for the first time. The story is of their affair and how it could very easily damage both of their lives, but throughout the story, moments that reflect how Korean society would view this couple, how society views love in general, and how society measures success, are all interwoven.

15 Something In The Rain

(2018)

In Something In The Rain, 35-year-old Jin-ah is a successful single woman who begins to fall in love with her best friend’s younger brother when the latter returns from abroad after three years. It’s a twist on an old rom-com trope. The two slowly fall in love while getting to know each other and navigating their age gap, inevitably telling their respective families and others about their romance.

What makes Something In The Rain a steamy Korean drama is the way it realistically tackles the South Korean taboo of younger males dating older females. That’s something a handful of K-dramas have taken on since. This gives even the most classic rom-com scenes – like sneakily holding hands under the table or walking in the rain — a new lease on life.

14 Her Private Life

(2019)

Sung Deok-mi is an art gallery curator who is secretly a zealous fan of the K-pop idol, Cha Shi-an. In the age of fandom communities on social media, this K-drama definitely hits a pop culture sweet spot.

A steamy K-drama for fans who like K-pop, Her Private Life begins when false rumors surface about Sung Deok-Mi and Cha Shi-an dating. After the idol’s wild fanatics threaten Sung Deok-Mi, she pretends to date her boss Ryan Gold, a retired artist who manages the gallery. When the two are forced to keep up appearances at work and elsewhere, what starts out as make-believe eventually turns into a real romance. Apart from being a steamy Korean drama, this also results in funny scenes like Ryan ignoring a deliveryman to passionately kiss Deok-Mi.

13 My Secret Romance

(2017)

The K-drama My Secret Romance follows Cha Jin-wook and Lee Yoo-mi, who meet at a Gangwon-do resort, with the former working there as a bellhop under his father’s orders and the latter there for her mother’s wedding. The two hit it off and spend the night together.

Fast-forward three years and Yoo-mi is working as a nutritionist at Jin-wook’s company. The two’s new relationship starts off rocky with Jin-wook being hard on Yoo-mi, even antagonizing her, just to be near her. While outsiders might see him as a playboy, the truth is that he kept a memento of their night together and just wants the chance to get to know her. When the two finally start to warm up to each other again, it turns into a steamy Korean drama riddled with passion, and some of the usual romantic comedy misunderstandings, and love.

12 The World Of The Married

(2020)

A K-drama spin on the popular BBC One series, Doctor Foster, The World Of The Married follows the life of successful psychiatric doctor Ji Sun-woo, who seems to be leading a perfect life with her husband, Lee Tae-oh, and their son, Lee Joon-young. What seems perfect, however, rarely truly is.

Her world is turned upside down when she learns that Tae-oh is having an affair with the young Yeo Day-Kyung — and her “friends” have been hiding it from her. While decidedly one of the steamiest K-dramas, The World of the Married is also one of the more heartbreaking as some of the characters give into their darkest thoughts. Tae-oh and Day-Kyung deliver unforgettable intimate scenes that perfectly capture the excitement of forbidden lust, but the series also features more violence than the usual steamy series.

11 A Witch’s Romance

(2014)

This particular K-drama is actually a remake of a 2009 Taiwanese series, and though it only has 16 episodes, it has a great story. Ban Ji-yeon is a 39-year-old woman who has given up on love in the steamy Korean drama, A Witch’s Romance. However, her heart begins to thaw when she meets 25-year-old Yoon Dong-ha, and the two embark on a December-May romance.

Another spicy K-drama that’s not afraid of the South Korean social taboo regarding older women dating younger men, A Witch’s Romance also deals with the effects of tragedy. While Ji-yeon’s war photographer husband disappeared before her wedding day, Dong-ha lost his girlfriend to a heart problem. The prevailing intimacy of the passionate scenes between the two betray their growing feelings of love for one another.

10 It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

(2020)

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is an emotional, romantic, and steamy Korean drama that follows the lives of three individuals. Moon Gang-tae lives with and takes care of his autistic older brother, Moon Sang-tae. The brothers move around a lot after Sang-tae witnessed the murder of their mother when he was young. In every new town, Gang-tae works in the psychiatric hospital, and there he encounters Ko Moon-young, a famous children’s author who has antisocial personality disorder.

Moon-young realizes that their pasts overlap and becomes romantically obsessed with Gang-tae. Together, Gang-tae, Moon-young, and Sang-tae unravel their shared past in one of the most poignant, complex, and emotional K-dramas in recent history. The series received a nomination for Best TV Movie Or Miniseries at the International Emmy Awards.

9 Love and Leashes

(2022)

Entering into a contractual relationship, Jung Ji-woo and Jung Ji-hoo are two coworkers in the Netflix K-drama Love and Leashes. What makes Love and Leashes unique even among the steamiest K-dramas is that it explores communication, respectful boundaries, and romantic feelings in a relationship hinged on hardcore BDSM. Many of the steamier on-screen romances to incorporate BDSM into their stories have been criticized in the past for not including the importance of communication and boundaries.

It’s a steamy rom-com that lovingly plays with the most common tropes in K-drama. For instance, Ji-hoo only brings up his secret interest in BDSM to Ji-woo after she accidentally discovers a collar he ordered at work. Nonetheless, Ji-woo turns out to be a quick learner, masterfully stepping into the stilettos of a dominatrix eager to please the man she’s beginning to fall in love with.

8 Nevertheless

(2021)

Nevertheless follows two singles who have trouble being in relationships and are non-believers in love. It’s a common rom-com trope to see a player bond with someone who cannot get past the trauma of a broken heart but Nevertheless makes it feel fresh.

Park Jae-eon is a known flirt who doesn’t want a committed relationship, and as for Yu Na-bi, her terrible past has made her disillusioned with love. In a twist of fate, they decide to enter into a relationship with each other and to give commitment a try. As the two explore a semi-friends-with-benefits setup, they begin to fall in love and change their cynical outlook. This steamy K-drama is all about the tension of weighing whether the other feels the same way. Na-bi even has an intensely passionate dream about Jae-eon.

7 What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?

(2018)

When Lee Young-Joon, a vice-chairman of a major corporation, learns that his very capable secretary Kim Mi-so will be resigning after nine years, Young-Joon decides to do whatever it takes to make sure she stays by his side in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? After all, she’s a great secretary, and he wouldn’t want to keep her by his side for any reason other than work, right?

His attempts to get her to stay include setting up a fireworks show just for her and giving her thoughtful gifts reminiscent of the time they’ve enjoyed working together. However, this is no ordinary K-drama about falling in love with the boss. As he stalls her leave at every turn, the two begin to fall in love and heal each other from their past shared traumatic experiences, resulting in some of the steamiest K-drama scenes.

6 Another Miss Oh

(2016)

This K-drama follows the story of Park Do-kyung, who is left at the altar by his fiancé, Oh Hae-young. When Do-kyung later learns that she’s to be married, he goes out of his way to ruin her wedding plans. However, it’s soon revealed that the woman’s life he’s just ruined is not “his” Oh Hae-Young, but another Miss Oh. Mistaken identity contributes to a comedy of errors that turns into a sweet and steamy story.

As Do-kyung gets close to this “other” Hae-young, the two begin to fall in love. However, after seeing Oh Hae-young with her former fiancé the previous night, Do-kyung is not very happy to see her the next day, which eventually culminates in one of the steamiest kissing scenes in K-drama.

5 My Name

(2021)

This steamy K-drama isn’t the usual romance. Instead, it’s a crime-drama. Ji-woo is the daughter of a gangster who witnessed her father’s murder. Obsessed with revenge, she trains herself to rise in the ranks of his father’s gang, whose leader was his best friend. She then infiltrates the police under the name Hye-jin, and she and her partner Pil-do uncover shocking truths about her father.

While mainly a noir-inspired crime series, Ji-woo/Hye-jin and Pil-do navigate sexual tension from the moment they meet in this steamy Korean drama. After surviving a crucial fight and shootout, Pil-do dresses Ji-woo/Hye-jin’s wounds, an intimate moment that leads to not just passionate lovemaking, but a rare tender respite for two people who’ve been fighting all their lives.

4 Eve

(2022)

While this steamy K-drama is also a tale of revenge, it’s not as straight-up of a crime drama as My Name. Lee La-el is the heir of a chaebol — a family-owned Korean corporate conglomerate — whose genius scientist father was killed when she was a child. Now 28 years old, La-el sets out on a mission of revenge against one of the men responsible for her father’s death, the 41-year-old Kang Yoon-gyeom who is also a chaebol heir.

La-el seduces Yoon-gyeom to orchestrate his divorce from 45-year-old Han So-ra, the daughter of the country’s most powerful politician. However, after Yoon-gyeom and La-el share some of the most realistic and steamiest kissing and love-making scenes in K-drama, they fall in love, threatening to throw a wrench in La-el’s ₩2 trillion revenge plan.

3 Somebody

(2022)

Calling Somebody one of the steamiest K-dramas would be an understatement. Kim-sum is an extraordinarily talented app developer who has Asperger syndrome. When her AI-assisted dating app Somebody gets involved in a series of murders, Kim-sun tracks down the killer, Sung Yun-oh, and their instant connection leads to a passionate romance. It might be hard to believe that one of the main characters in a romance is a serial killer, but that’s exactly what happens here.

Meanwhile, Kim-sum’s only friends Gi-eun and Mok-won — a veteran cop and a shaman — investigate the murders committed by Yun-oh. The mystery runs alongside the romance. Compared to any other steamy Korean drama on this list, Somebody contains the most actual sex scenes, which include full-frontal nudity and explicit lovemaking.

2 Hit The Spot

(2022)

Hit The Spot brings one of the most interesting parts of pop culture into the steamy series – the podcast. Podcasting today is what late-night radio shows were in the 1980s. They can inform, entertain, or offer relatively anonymous discussions for those who might be to afraid to talk about certain topics openly. In this case, however, the podcast comes from the employees of an erotic bookstore.

Hee-jae is a friendly and considerate person who knows next to nothing about romance. The same can be said of her best friend Mi-na, but at least Mi-na knows a thing or two about sex. When their workplace Play Books — an erotic book and toy shop — needs new hosts for a sex and romance podcast, Hee-jae and Mi-na take on the challenge of their lives.

From the graphic sex scenes that open this steamy Korean drama to the characters having frequent conversations about sex, toys, and doing the deed itself, Hit the Spot takes viewers on a titillating ride as Hee-jae and Mi-na discover and unleash their sexuality.

1 You Raise Me Up

(2021)

Apart from being one of the most binge-able spicy K-dramas, You Raise Me Up is a rom-com with lots of heart. The series takes a topic that can often be embarrassing for men and finds both the humor and the heart in the subject, pairing an everyday problem with the story of rekindling an old flame.

Already suffering from erectile dysfunction, Do Yong-shik experiences the most awkward reunion with an ex when he discovers that his urologist is Lee Ru-da, who was his first love. What’s even more awkward is that Ru-da bragged about her first love to her overconfident boyfriend Do Ji-hyuk, who is not impressed by Yong-shik. However, Yong-shik and Ru-da slowly rekindle their feelings for each other, leading to some very realistic, intimate, and heavy kissing scenes. Even with its hilarious premise, this steamy Korean drama balances comedy and intimate scenes very well.