15 Sad K-Dramas to Watch When You Need a Really Good Cry

From tales of first loves that were never meant to last to families trying to stick together through unimaginable challenges, these dramas mix real-life issues with that unique K-drama magic, ensuring you're hooked from the first episode all the way to the tearful finale.

1. "If You Wish Upon Me" (2022)

Inspired by a real-life Dutch organization, a young man with a troubled past becomes involved with a hospice care team, where, along with other members, he fulfills the last wishes of terminally ill patients, leading him on a journey of healing, self-discovery, and unexpected love.

2. "Tomorrow" (2022)

After an accident, a man on the brink of life and death becomes a half-human, half-spirit and joins a team of grim reapers who intervene to save people contemplating suicide; through his work, he confronts human suffering and finds redemption in helping others find the will to live.

3. "Children of Nobody" (2018)

A mysterious child's poetry leads a child counselor and a detective to a complex web of secrets and a series of child abuse cases, challenging them to unravel the truth and protect the victims while dealing with their personal demons and the darkness of human nature.

4. "Extracurricular" (2020)

A top student who secretly lives a double life running an illegal business to earn tuition money finds his meticulously managed life spiraling out of control when his classmates get involved, leading to a dangerous path of crime, consequences, and moral dilemmas.

5. "The Guest" (2018)

A psychic, a priest, and a detective join forces to combat a series of supernatural crimes connected to a powerful entity known as "Sohn" that possessed people to commit unspeakable acts, delving into a dark world of evil spirits and human sin.

6. "Beautiful World" (2019)

When a family's son becomes the victim of severe school violence that leaves him in a coma, they embark on a relentless quest for truth and justice against a backdrop of institutional failure, societal apathy, and the painful realities of bullying.

7. "Solomon's Perjury" (2016)

After a high school student's suspicious death is ruled a suicide, his classmates challenge the adult world's dismissal by conducting their own trial to uncover the truth, revealing deep-seated secrets and lies within their school and community.

8. "Once Again" (2022)

Haunted by his past, Shin Jaewoo finds an intercom that sends him back 15 years, allowing him to reconnect with Kang Jihoon, the man he once loved; Jaewoo attempts to alter their destinies by rekindling their friendship, despite Jihoon's confusion over his familiar yet strange new neighbor.

9. "Dark Hole" (2021)

After a mysterious sinkhole emits a dark smoke that turns people into monsters, a survivor and a detective from Seoul band together with other survivors to fight the mutated beings and uncover the truth behind the phenomenon while facing their personal ghosts.

10. "My Unfamiliar Family" (2020)

As secrets and misunderstandings accumulate over the years, a family that has grown apart starts questioning what makes a true family as they begin to untangle the complex web of miscommunications, finding new understanding and bonds in the process.

11. "Hotel Del Luna" (2019)

The beautiful but aloof owner of a mystical hotel for spirits on their way to the afterlife and her new, living manager deal with the hotel's ghostly guests and their unfinished business, all while uncovering the owner's centuries-old secrets and the possibility of redemption and love.

12. "49 Days" (2011)

Following a car accident, a woman in a coma is given 49 days to collect three sincere tears from non-family members to prove the value of her life, embarking on a spiritual journey in another's body to discover the depths of human emotions, betrayal, and the meaning of genuine love.

13. "Weak Hero Class 1" (2022)

A seemingly frail but strategically brilliant student battles school violence and bullying with his intellect and moral courage, becoming an unlikely hero as he and his friends confront the brutal realities of their high school's hierarchical system.

14. "My Country: The New Age" (2019)

Set during the tumultuous transition from the Goryeo dynasty to the Joseon dynasty, two friends who become enemies due to a twist of fate and conflicting loyalties find themselves on opposite sides of a power struggle, navigating love, friendship, and the harsh realities of their era's politics and warfare.

15. "The Light in Your Eyes" (2019)

A woman who gains the ability to manipulate time but at the cost of her youthful appearance and a man who wastes his time away meet and learn valuable lessons about life, love, and the preciousness of time, challenging each other to see the light in their lives despite the darkness.