Korean drama have an amazing ability to move the audience. Many korean drama on Netflix can make us feel in love, laugh out loud, sad, or even feel scary tension.
However, there are also many dramas that are able to stir the emotions of the audience with a very touching story. If you want to watch a show that can make you cry, here are the saddest drama recommendations you can find on Netflix.
Saddest Korean Drama Recommendations on Netflix
1. Queen of Tears
Queen of Tears tells the story of Baek Hyun-woo, a successful lawyer from a wealthy family who is the pride of his hometown. At first, he works at the Queens Department and meets Hong Hae-in, a part-time employee who often gets into trouble. Hyun-woo started helping Hae-in and felt worried about her.
Hyun-woo expresses his feelings for Hae-in and says he’s ready to support her if she chooses to quit her job. However, she doesn’t realize that Hae-in is the daughter of the owner of Queens Group.
After going through a lot of trouble at the beginning of their relationship, Hyun-woo and Hae-in finally got married. Hyun-woo is now the head of the legal team at Queens Group, while Hae-in is a senior officer at the company. Although they seem to have an ideal life, they actually face a lot of pressure from their families.
Title | Queen of Tears |
Release Schedule | March 21, 2017 |
Genre | Drama, Romance |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
2. The Good Bad Mother

This drama depicts the complex dynamics between a mother and daughter, combined with elements of humor and crime. A stiff-necked lawyer experiences an incident that changes his way of thinking, sending him back to a childlike stage of development, and in need of his mother’s attention.
Their process of overcoming and healing wounds from the past makes The Good Bad Mother one of the saddest and most emotional dramas on Netflix.
Title | The Good Bad Mother |
Release Schedule | April 26, 2023 |
Genre | Drama,Comedy |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
3. Youth of May

Youth of May tells the story of Hwang Hee Tae, a smart and determined medical student, who meets Kim Myun Hee, a young nurse who is independent and fighting for her life.
Hee Tae and Myung Hee’s story is set against the backdrop of political unrest in Gwangju in May 1980. In a precarious situation, they must face the realities of life, love, family problems, and the difficult choices that must be made.
Title | Youth of May |
Release Schedule | May 3, 2021 |
Genre | Drama, Romance, History |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
4. Hi Bye, Mama!

This story is about a mother who died in a very sad accident. However, she gets a chance to return to this world as a human for a while. The life she leads in this second time actually creates new problems, because her husband is now remarried.
The emotional story between Cha Yu Ri (Kim Tae Hee) and her daughter, coupled with the reunion moment with her husband, makes Hi, Bye Mama! the saddest drakor on Netflix that is very touching and full of emotion.
Title | Hi Bye, Mama! |
Release Schedule | February 22, 2020 |
Genre | Drama |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
5. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay tells the story of Ko Moon Young (Seo Ye Ji), a book writer with anti-social personality disorder. Her unique personality makes her appear rude, arrogant, and self-centered, and she is often in conflict with others.
Ko Moon Young meets Moon Kang Tae, a handsome and intelligent man who works in the psychiatric ward. He is known to have good patience and empathy skills, and is quick to socialize.
In the psychiatric ward, she faces various problems such as fights and patients who run away. Despite having different personalities, the two end up falling in love with each other.
Title | It’s Okay to Not Be Okay |
Release Schedule | June 20, 2020 |
Genre | Drama, Romance |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
6. Thirty-Nine

From the outside, Thirty-Nine looks like a casual drama about the friendship of three women approaching 40. However, everything changes when one of them receives a cancer diagnosis.
The drama transformed into an emotional and heartfelt story. With performances from Son Ye Jin, Jeon Mi Do, and Kim Ji Hyun, Thirty-Nine managed to become one of the saddest shows on Netflix that not only moves emotions, but is also full of meaning.
Title | Thirty-Nine |
Release Schedule | February 16, 2022 |
Genre | Drama, Romance,Comedy |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
7. Move to Heaven

Next, the saddest Korean drama on Netflix is Move to Heaven inspired by the essay “Things Left Behind” by Kim Sae Byul, a cleaner of deceased people’s belongings. The story follows Geu Ru (Tang Joon Sang), a young man with asperger’s syndrome, who runs a trauma clearance business called Move to Heaven with his father, Han Jeong Woo (Ji Jin Hee).
Geu Ru, along with her father, works to organize the belongings of the deceased and deliver messages that have not been delivered to loved ones. Gae Ru suffers a tragedy when her father passes away, leaving her alone. Fortunately, the uncle she has never met, Sang Gu, comes along and becomes her protector.
Title | Move to Heaven |
Release Schedule | May 14, 2021 |
Genre | Drama |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
8. Uncontrollably Fond

The story is about the fate-determined love between a movie star and a documentary filmmaker. After being separated as teenagers, they meet again as adults. However, their love journey was not easy.
Starring Kim Woo Bin, Bae Suzy, Lim Ji Hwan, and Lim Ju Eun, this drama titled Uncontrollably Fond is one of the saddest shows on Netflix that you must watch.
Title | Uncontrollably Fond |
Release Schedule | July 6, 2016 |
Genre | Drama |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
9. Our Blues

Our Blues is an omnibus drama series that tells the story of not only the main cast, but also other interesting characters. Lee Byung Hun plays Lee Dong Seok, a simple merchant with little understanding of technology.
Lee Dong Seok unexpectedly meets Min Sun Ah, who just moved to Jeju Island and keeps many secrets. They interact frequently, while Choi Han Soo, who returns to his hometown, finds his first love, Jung Eun Hee, a fish shop owner.
Title | Our Blues |
Release Schedule | July 6, 2016 |
Genre | Drama |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
10. Goblin

Goblin combines elements of fantasy, love, and comedy. However, underneath all that, the story is also full of sadness. The curse of immortality experienced by Goblin (Gong Yoo), the tragic fate of Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun), and the touching love story between the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) and Sunny (Yoo In Na), made many viewers feel moved and cry.
The drama won two Baeksang awards, among which was the Daesang awarded to writer Kim Eun Sook.
Title | Goblin |
Release Schedule | December 2, 2016 |
Genre | Drama, Romance |
Link to Watch | Netflix |
Those are the recommendations for the saddest and most moving Korean drama on Netflix. For those of you who want to spend the weekend watching something meaningful, these drama recommendations can be the right choice!