Despite how popular the second lead syndrome phenomenon has gotten over the past years, it’s still rare to find a K-drama where the second guy gets the girl in the end. That said, it’s not entirely unprecedented. ICYDK, a number of shows have actually taken the path less traveled, whether to the delight or the disappointment of their viewers. If that’s exactly your cup of tea though, keep scrolling below as we list down 10 Korean shows where the second lead and the female lead get their happy ending.
K-Dramas Where the Second Lead Gets the Girl:
1. My Holo Love
Han So-yeon’s face blindness disorder has forced her to live a reclusive life. This changes one day when she meets Holo, an AI program who looks exactly like his creator, the brilliant Go Nan-do. As Holo and Seo-yeon grow close, he begins to develop tangible human-like feelings for her, baffling his creator, who finds himself jealous of their relationship. By the K-drama’s finale, a tragic fate meets Holo, allowing for Nan-do and So-yeon to end up together.
Starring: Yoon Hyun Min, Go Sung Hee, Choi Yeo Jin
2. Dream High
Six aspiring K-pop idols reach for their dreams at Kirin High School and develop feelings for one another along the way. Song Sam-dong is arguably the actual male lead in the show, but he doesn’t win protagonist Go hye-mi’s affections until later on. Instead, she first falls into a budding romance with Ok Taecyeon’s character Jin-guk.
Starring: Bae Suzy, Kim Soo Hyun, IU, Ok Taecyeon
3. Reply 1988
In the small neighborhood of Ssangmundong, five childhood friends grow up together and find strength in their bond as they weather through their turbulent teenage years. Most viewers had their hearts set on Deok-sun and Jung-hwan ending up together, if only the latter could gather the courage to confess his feelings. Sadly, the opportunity slips from his hands as Deok-sun begins to fall for their other friend, Choi Taek.
Starring: Lee Hyeri, Ryu Jun Yeol, Park Bo Gum, Go Kyung Pyo
4. The King in Love
Goryeo dynasty crown prince Wang Won is hopelessly in love with the beautiful Eun San. He would go to great lengths, even lay down his life, just for her, not knowing that his childhood friend, Wang Rin, has kept his own feelings for San hidden out of loyalty to Won. In the end, San and Rin leave the palace together as Won ascends the throne. We’re used to rooting for the second lead, but in this situation, the main male lead, Won, might just have our sympathies.
Starring: Im Si Wan, Im YoonA, Hong Jong Hyun
5. Born Again
The lives of three people collide through space and time in Born Again. Detective Cha Hyung-bin has always loved Jung Ha-eun, a bookstore owner suffering from a weak heart. His affections for Ha-eun aren’t alone, however, when Gong Ji-chul, a serial killer, also falls for her. Tragedy strikes for the three as their lives eventually intertwine. Years later, they’re all reincarnated as different people, but the truth of their past lives continue to haunt them. In the end, Ha-eun stays by Ji-chul’s side, leaving Hyung-bin heartbroken.
Starring: Lee Soo Hyuk, Jang Ki Yong, Jin Se Yeon
6. Empress Ki
This K-drama reimagines the life of Empress Ki, a Goryeo-born woman who defies all odds to become an Empress of the Yuan dynasty. She’s initially engaged to her first love, Wang Yoo, the King of Goryeo, but later on becomes the wife of the childish but fierce Ta Hwan.
Starring: Ha Ji Won, Joo Jin Mo, Ji Chang Wook
7. My First Time
Yoon Tae Oh, a carefree college freshman, shares a lifelong bond with Han Song Yi. As he develops feelings for her radiant personality, a love triangle forms with Tae Oh's well-mannered friend, Seo Ji An. Their intertwined relationships spark a complex journey of emotions amidst college life's trials.
Starring: Choi Min Ho, Park So Dam, Kim Min Jae, Lee Yi Kyung
8. My First First Love
Based on My First Time, Yoon Tae Oh's friends unexpectedly move in with him, each with personal motives. Song I and Tae Oh share a lifelong bond, while Choi Hoon aspires to be an actor and Ga Rin comes from wealth. When Song I encounters Tae Oh's friend Do Hyeon, their friendship faces a test.
Starring: Kim Ji Soo, Jung Chae Yeon, Jung Jin Young, Choi Ri, Kang Tae Oh, Hong Ji Yoon
9. Bread, Love and Dreams
Kim Tak Goo, a gifted baker and heir to Geosung Enterprise, faces betrayal from his family due to his illegitimate birth. Determined to reclaim his legacy, he embarks on a journey to rebuild his career in the baking industry against all odds.
Starring: Yoon Shi Yoon, Eugene, Joo Won
10. Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter
In ancient Goryeo, Sun Ok-Nam, a fairy, loses her path back to Heaven when a woodcutter hides her clothes, leading to marriage and tragedy. Desperate to reunite, she waits for her husband's reincarnation, running a café on Gyeryong Mountain. After centuries, she senses his presence among two visitors from Seoul and follows them to the city, determined to uncover her long-lost love's true identity.
Starring: Moon Chae Won, Yoon Hyun Min, Seo Ji Hoon, Kang Mi Na
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