The Kiss List: The Best K-drama Kissing Scenes

Updated: Feb 21

GwenchaNoona celebrates love with a daily Kiss List featuring the sweetest, the most passionate, or the most intimate kissing scenes in k-dramaland!

Her Private Life

Park Min-young always has electric chemistry with her co-stars, and in Her Private Life, we felt it with Ryan Gold (Kim Jae-wook). We watched them both go from enemies to lovers, and the first kiss in episode 9 made all the wanting and waiting worth it!

Read our special feature on workplace romance k-dramas!

Nevertheless,

Yes, he was a red flag, and yes, she should have run far away from him, but there's something Jae-on (Song Kang) has that makes Na-bi (Han So-hee) give in every time. We knew Nevertheless, was different when we got a long kiss on the second episode of the show — something almost unheard of in the genre — and the following ones just got more and more NSFW. K-dramas have come a long way. Whew. 🥵

Check out our spotlight on k-dramas that sparked online debates among fans.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

In a dark corridor, they're just two lovers sharing a kiss. But when the lights come on, we realize the special kiss is a part of the extraordinary love story unfolding between attorney Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin) and paralegal Lee Jun-ho (Kang Tae-oh). This scene and many others in the drama thoughtfully broke a number of stereotypes and myths about autism and proved that anyone with a good heart could love and be loved.

See our special feature on Extraordinary Attorney Woo and the rest of our favorite slice-of-life k-dramas.

Melting Me Softly

We will be seeing a lot of Ji Chang-wook on the Kiss List because...well, the man CAN kiss. In Melting Me Softly, he plays a man whose heart rate can't go above a certain number. To tone down the heat of his desire, he has to kiss Mi-ran (Won Jin-ah) in circumstances that would "cool" him off, such as in the rain or under a cold shower. Is your screen fogging up? We're sure it just did. 👀

Check out our featured article on time-focused k-dramas.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay

When Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun) asks Mun-young (Seo Yea-ji) to count to three before exploding, we certainly weren't expecting the kiss that came barely after she finished. The intensity, longing, and passion of this kiss sent fans of the show over the edge, with versions of the scene racking up millions of views even after the show ended. 😏

Read more about soulmates in k-dramas.

Alchemy of Souls Parts 1 and 2

GwenchaNoona | The Kiss List: Jung So-min and Lee Jae-wook in "Alchemy of Souls" Part 1; Go Yoon-jung and Lee Jae-wook in "Alchemy of Souls" Part 2

The first part of Alchemy of Souls enjoyed massive success, not only because of its amazing effects and fascinating story, but also because of the crazy chemistry between Jang Uk (Lee Jae-wook) and Mu-deok (Jung So-min). When they finally kissed after 13 long episodes, Jang Uk proved his love to Mu-deok, reassuring the fans as well!

Because of an advanced soul-switching magic, Naksu's energy and appearance has slowly taken over Mu-deok's body. As if to put out Jang Uk's sense of loss, Naksu (Go Yoon-jung) first blows on Jang Uk's face before the couple's first sober kiss — and episode 27 immediately went viral! Love indeed triumphs over grief. 🥰

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim

The best thing about this rom-com is that it didn't hold back on the kisses between the stalwart CEO Lee Young-joon (Park Seo-joon) and Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young). The "cabinet kiss" as well as the kiss they shared when she was going to stay the night (episode 13, for science) had fans whipped into a frenzy. Nothing wrong here, Secretary Kim. You go, girl. 😘

See our special feature on workplace romance k-dramas!

Vagabond

Go Hae-ri (Bae Suzy) may be a covert operative for the National Intelligence Service in the spy action series Vagabond, but when she gets drunk, she becomes the heroine of every girl who's had a massive crush on a colleague. After declaring "you're mine," she grabs Cha-gun's (Lee Seung-gi) face with both hands, plants a kiss, and then blacks out to pretend it never happened.

The sizzling chemistry between Lee Seung-gi and Bae Suzy, as well as the drama's intense action scenes, made Vagabond a certified hit in 2019.

Jealousy Incarnate

Most of us love a good love triangle, so when weather girl Pyo Na-ri's (Gong Hyo-jin's) old feelings for her colleague and former crush Lee Hwa-sin (Jo Jung-suk) start to resurface while she's dating his best friend Go Jung-won (Go Kyung-pyo), we knew we were all in for a treat. As Na-ri confronts Hwa-sin in an empty locker room and rattles off a long list of what makes him the worst guy ever while Jung-won is the best, the tension between the two explodes. Jealousy Incarnate may even be the only k-drama with a genuine love triangle — polyamory experiment included!

Read our full review here.

Crash Landing on You

While the kisses in Crash Landing on You are relatively modest compared to some of the steamy k-drama kisses we're featuring this love month, they hit differently because of the insane chemistry between now-married couple Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin.

Whether it's avoiding arrest on a fishing boat, giving in to their feelings outside a hospital in North Korea, or finally reuniting in Switzerland, their real-life romance elevates their on-screen kisses to another level. 🥰

Read our comprehensive timeline of the BinJin couple's love story here.

Suspicious Partner

Those of us who watched the show were worried we wouldn't get another kiss — after all, this is a Ji Chang-wook show — but thankfully, an intense last-minute kiss/makeout sesh happened prior to laundry! In the last episode, sarcastic attorney Ji-Wook (Ji Chang-wook) finally gives in to his feelings for his fellow lawyer, Bong-hee (Nam Ji-hyun). This kiss and all other romantic scenes were so intense that people actually thought the two were dating in real life. 😏

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

This sweet kiss after cynical city-girl dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-ah) breathlessly and candidly confesses her feelings to small-town boy Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho) had us all in a biological crisis. For a split second there, we really thought Du-sik would reject her because of his pride and inner demons, but he did not disappoint. And we haven't been the same since. 😍 Oh, and the dimple kisses were such a sweet bonus, too.

Read our deep-dive into the SikHye couple.

Strong Woman Do Bong-soon

These two may have been one of the cutest and most adorable couples in k-dramaland, but they managed to pack some serious heat, too. Especially when Ahn Min-hyuk (Park Hyung-sik) lifted and placed Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) on the piano. Hooo boy. 😜

Check out our featured k-drama heroes and their superpowers.

Business Proposal

Men lurching to claim a kiss is nothing new in k-drama, but the moment Secretary Cha (Kim Min-kyu) took off his glasses to kiss Jin Young-soo (Seol In-ah), he instantly went from cute and cuddly to sexy and steamy. It also didn't help that THAT makeout session was one of the more generous ones in k-drama, with all the misty lighting and dramatic music. Admit it, you broke the replay button, too. 🥵

Read more about our favorite second couple leads.

It's Okay, That's Love

What's better than a kiss in the rain? A kiss under a waterfall! Past trauma and loads of emotional baggage between psychologist Ji Hae-soo (Gong Hyo-jin) and writer Jang Jae-yeol (Jo In-sung) couldn't stop them from falling for each other. On a weekend jaunt, these two find themselves in a secluded waterfall, where the seduction begins. We get all the emotion in this kiss, as well as Jo In-sung in a sopping wet shirt.

Something in the Rain

In one of the hotter noona romances in k-dramaland, Yoon Jin-ah (Son Ye-jin) charms younger game developer Seo Joon-hoo (Jung Hae-in). What results is some major chemistry as well as hot and heavy making out scenes that earn points for being heartfelt as well as realistic.

See our favorite k-drama love confessions.

Reply 1988

In one of the more creative friends-to-lovers moments in k-drama, Choi Taek (Park Bo-gum) slumbers off while Deok-sun (Lee Hye-ri) dozes after him. Suddenly, he wakes in the middle of the night to find that he's holding on to her. Without warning, he softly plants an inverted kiss on Deok-sun's lips. But was it all just a dream? Was it Taek's medications? Was it all a hallucination? We find out later when Deok-sun mentions it, which gives way to the "chair kiss" and a lot more kisses in the show.

Take a look at our favorite slice-of-life k-dramas.

Goblin

It must be nice to have a boyfriend who is able to cross space and time, so when Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) brings Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun) back to their hotel room in a heartbeat, they show how they missed each other by delivering one of the hottest and most convincing make-out scenes in 2016 k-drama. 🥵

Read more about our favorite fated couples in fantasy love stories.

The King: Eternal Monarch

This legendary "neck kiss" was so hot that it raised the ratings of the show AND our collective body temperatures instantly. In this scene, Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho) reminds Jung Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun) that addressing him casually could result in her beheading. "Go ahead," she dares, wherein the king swiftly plants a kiss on her neck. With 13 million replays on YouTube alone, it proves that k-drama is the master of the small but sensual move.

Check out our deep-dive into time-focused k-dramas.

Oh My Venus

So Ji-sub plays John Kim, a celebrity trainer, who finds himself helping lawyer Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-ah) lose pounds and get her life back. As these stories go, he gradually develops a liking for her, and soon enough, the undeniable chemistry between the two leads heated up everyone's screens in 2016. The kiss they share after a workout is one of the more memorable ones, with some serious tension thrown in for good measure. These two should make another rom-com again!

Take a look at our feature on soulmates in k-dramas.

Coffee Prince

If it were not for the hairstyles and the white pants, we would have a hard time believing that Coffee Prince was made over 16 years ago. It was way ahead of its time and remains one of the most beloved genderswap tales for legions of k-drama fans. When Choi Han-kyul (Gong Yoo) finally realizes his feelings for Go Eun-chan (Yoo Eun-hye) and dares to plant a kiss, we all knew that he loved her/him unequivocally. And when she liked him back, the kisses just got better and better. Was all this really happening in largely-conservative 2007 k-dramaland? You bet it was. 😘

Check out our list of romantic k-drama confessions.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One

Happy new year indeed to Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri), who initiated this wonderful kiss at midnight of the millennium. Filled with longing and deep love, this one was truly a kiss for the books (and Hee-do's journal). Although most of us would rather forget how the show ended, we won't forget this kiss (and their snow kiss!) anytime soon. 🥰

Read our deep-dive into friendships and the Taeyang Gang.

W: Two Worlds

Maybe it was the handcuffs, or because it seemed to go on forever, but the passionate jailhouse kiss between Kang Cheol (Lee Jong-suk) and Oh Yeon-joo (Han Hyo-joo) in episode 7 of W: Two Worlds was so steamy that, apparently, even the actors themselves felt the heat during the filming. Behind-the-scenes clips show that right after the director yelled cut, they sheepishly smiled at each other and hugged awkwardly as she was too embarrassed to look at anyone. After they finally disengaged, Lee Jong-suk walked over to the open window and took his jacket off, while she ran out of the set like a giddy girl, still in handcuffs.

Find out how webtoons crossed over into k-dramas.

Descendants of the Sun

We all remember where we were and how loud we squealed when Captain Yoo (Song Joong-ki) decided there was a way to drink wine without breaking any of the army's rules. His smirk and swagger, as well as the careful way he approached Dr. Kang (Song Hye-kyo) before he dared to plant a kiss, is probably a core memory for many fans who watched the show when it aired back in 2016. Ahhh, those were the days. 😙

Read more about military-themed k-dramas.

My Love from the Star

When your boyfriend is from another world, you bet the kiss will be otherworldly, too. Top star Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun) thinks she will attend a gala alone, when all of a sudden, everything stops. With everyone frozen, Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun) slowly walks up to her and puts his coat around her. She can hardly believe it and starts to tear up. So when he leans down to give her a kiss and everyone is un-frozen, we all squeal along with the unsuspecting crowd. What a moment for a k-drama made 10 years ago. 🤩

Check out our favorite fantasy k-drama couples.

The Bride of Habaek

GwenchaNoona | The Kiss List: Nam Joo-hyuk and Shin Se-kyung in "Bride of Habaek"

What is it like to kiss a god? Only Yoon So-ah (Shin Se-kyung) knows. After several episodes of will-they or won't-they, Lord Ha-baek (Nam Joo-hyuk) finally gives in to the very human attraction he feels towards So-ah and kisses her passionately as they go up the stairs. Just as abruptly, he stops kissing her and offers the explanation that candy must not be eaten twice. This kiss didn't rake in millions of views for nothing and had us buckling at the knees just like So-ah. 😜

See our feature on soulmates in k-dramas.

Healer

The cold never bothered him anyway. Ji Chang-wook makes the list for the third time, and now it's for the great kisses he shares with Park Min-young in Healer. As Jung-hoo and Young-shin, they try to make the world right again with their brand of vigilante journalism. Of course, it can't be all serious work. The romance begins with the famous "snow kiss" where "Healer" plants a kiss on Young-shin's lips while her eyes are covered by her bonnet. Everything may swirl cold and frosty around them, but for these two young lovers, everything is all right with the world.

Check out our special feature on workplace romance k-dramas!

Secret Garden

You know a kiss is truly iconic when it's been recreated or spoofed to death in other dramas! The "capuccino kiss" from the megapopular 2010 body-swap drama Secret Garden is one of them. In this legendary coffee shop scene, Kim Joo-won (Hyun Bin) reaches out across the table and kisses the foam off the top of Gil Ra-im's (Ha Ji-won's) lip. We all suddenly got 🫀 palpitations which definitely weren't from the cappuccino. 😉☕️