00:00Some K-drama couples have gained a reputation for being the worst,
00:03whether due to toxic dynamics or lack of chemistry.
00:05Here's a list of the most disappointing relationships in K-drama history,
00:09and why everyone hates them.
00:11Let's start with The Doctors.
00:13This drama follows Yu Xie Zhang, played by Park Shin Ye,
00:16who struggles to connect with others until she meets her mentor Hong Ji Hong,
00:21portrayed by actor Kim Rae Wan,
00:23who helps her evolve from a troubled teen into a caring doctor.
00:27After a fellow student exposes their close bond, they go their separate ways,
00:31but fate brings them back together 13 years later,
00:34just as Yu Ye Zhang is thriving in her medical career.
00:37The Doctors is still regarded as one of the most legendary K-dramas of its time,
00:42but what a lot of viewers can agree on is that the relationship between
00:46Hie Zhang and Ji Hong didn't age well in the slightest.
00:50A significant issue viewers raise is the 9-year age difference between the two characters.
00:54While some see this as typical in K-dramas, others still find it deeply unsettling.
00:59Moreover, their student-teacher relationship made many viewers uneasy,
01:02as they felt it sets a poor example for the audience.
01:05Speaking of weird age gaps, Young Lady and Gentleman is a drama worth discussing.
01:09The main character is Lee Young-kook, portrayed by Ji Hyun-woo,
01:13who is a widowed father of three, still mourning his late wife.
01:16He then hires Park Dandan, played by Lee Se-hee,
01:19as a live-in tutor for his children, and soon finds himself drawn to her.
01:22While the plot and the acting in the drama were great,
01:25it was the ages of the relationships that raised some eyebrows.
01:28To give you context, Hyun-woo is in his 40s while Dandan is in her 20s.
01:32You might wonder what the issue is since both characters are adults.
01:36However, it's revealed later that Dandan first met Hyun-woo when she was 13 and he was 29.
01:41Although they only got together as adults, the fact that the male lead
01:45dated someone he had known since she was a child made many viewers uncomfortable.
01:49There's also a scene where the two ride a bike together and play an arcade game,
01:54during which Hyun-woo's hand is shown holding the hand of 13-year-old Dandan,
01:58which had the viewer's skin crawling.
02:00The drama was still successful, but that scene alone
02:03was creepy enough for people to write it off completely.
02:06Cheese in the Trap is also often remembered more for its toxic lead couple than for the plot itself.
02:11The drama follows university student Hong Sol, played by Kim Go Eun,
02:15who struggles financially and works part-time, and her senior Yoo Jung, portrayed by actor Park Hae Jin,
02:21who seems perfect on the surface, handsome, smart, and kind, but hides a darker side.
02:26The drama may not be widely recognized, but those who know it often remember it for the male lead's
02:33disturbingly creepy actions toward the female character.
02:36One viewer summed it up by saying he was just a wealthy jerk who enjoyed interfering with others' lives
02:41in petty and harmful ways, with his actions toward Kim Sung-chul being particularly awful.
02:47As for the relationship between Jung and Hong Sol, they went on to write,
02:51Can you really imagine being in a relationship with someone where you're constantly questioning
02:55if they are being genuine or if they're sabotaging people's lives?
02:59Viewers also said that Jung had no redeeming qualities, as his disturbing actions include
03:04having In-ha send a dangerous stalker after Sol, doing nothing while In-ho was brutally beaten,
03:10manipulating and enabling In-ha, driving Minsu into a downward spiral, and mistreating both In-ha and In-ho.
03:17His intense possessiveness makes his behavior even more troubling as he treats Sol like an object
03:23rather than a person. Although these actions aren't entirely unrealistic, the main issue is that
03:28they're presented as romantic, creating a misleading message for viewers.
03:31The main couple in Playful Kiss isn't regarded any better. In this drama, Oh Hani, played by Jung So-min,
03:37is a clumsy and unpopular girl who has a crush on Baek Sung-jo, portrayed by Kim Hyun-jong.
03:43Unfortunately, he never reciprocates her feelings and consistently rejects her.
03:48The situation becomes more complicated when Hani and her dad end up living in the same house as
03:53Sung-jo and his family. While the drama tries to present their bond as enemies to lovers,
03:58it comes off as more harassment than love, especially since the male lead treats Hani poorly.
04:04He is often harsh, inconsiderate, jealous, disrespectful, belittling, and harms Hani emotionally.
04:10Another example of Sung-jo's cruelty occurs when he humiliates Hani by publicly returning her love
04:15letter, telling her he's too good for her. He also stays distant from her until another character proposes
04:20to Hani, which makes it obvious that his desire to win her back is more about wanting her attention
04:25than genuine feelings for her. Hani's behavior has also been called weird, as she basically stalks
04:30Sung-jo, but it's nowhere close to the toxicity he displays. In fact, many classic K-dramas feature
04:36relationships that are far from healthy and shouldn't be seen as ideal, such as the case of The Heirs.
04:41The Heirs is a legendary K-drama, with a star-studded cast including names such as Lee Min-ho, Park
04:47Shin-hye,
04:47and Kim Woo-bin, among others. The plot revolves around Kim Tan, a wealthy heir to a major Korean conglomerate,
04:53who has been sent to the U.S. by his brother. There he meets Cha Eun-sang, who is searching
04:58for her sister.
04:59Although engaged to you Rachel, a fellow heiress, Kim Tan quickly falls for Eun-sang. This leads to
05:03tension as he struggles to decide between his family obligations and his feelings for her. While the
05:08drama has mostly stood the test of time, Kim Tan remains the embodiment of a toxic boyfriend. He
05:14exhibits extreme possessiveness over Eun-sang, going as far as invading her privacy and causing her harm to
05:20keep her close. At times, Kim Tan even displays extremely harmful behavior and uses emotionally
05:25manipulative phrases like, if you really loved me, you would do this for me, which shows just how
05:30selfish he is. He frequently puts Eun-sang's safety, her job, and her mother's job at risk. The most
05:37frustrating part is that Kim Tan not only fails to stop his behavior, but also shows no signs of
05:43improvement throughout the 20 episodes, indicating he has no intention of changing. Moving on to Boys Over Flowers,
05:49the 2009 series features Jun-pyo, played by Lee Min-ho, a wealthy and arrogant character, and
05:55Jandi, portrayed by Koo Hyesan, the only girl in school brave enough to confront him. They too first
06:01cross paths when Jandi intervenes to help one of Jun-pyo's harassment victims, only for her to become
06:06his next target. Without even going into detail about Jun-pyo's actions, it's clear why they are often
06:12seen as one of the worst couples in K-drama history. The series depicts numerous instances of Jun-pyo
06:18imposing himself on Jandi. He even instructs other students to take advantage of her and
06:23orders his staff to abduct Jandi, assuming that a makeover will win her over. Jun-pyo's possessiveness
06:28also reaches toxic levels, promoting the dangerous notion that persistence at the expense of consent
06:33can lead to success. His lack of boundaries further illustrates the problematic dynamics portrayed in
06:39the show. It would be a crime to discuss the worst relationships in K-drama, without mentioning
06:43nevertheless. The drama is about Yu-Nabi, portrayed by Han So-hee, a woman who's lost faith in love after
06:49a heartbreak, and Park Jae-An, played by Song Kang, a charming guy who avoids commitment. Their uncertain
06:54romance unfolds with plenty of twists and turns, ultimately leading them to each other. However,
07:00the journey to their relationship is just as messed up as the relationship itself. Jae-An seems harmless at
07:05first, but he's not consistent and unpredictable. One day, he seeks Nabi's attention, and the next,
07:10he disappears without a word. He will also act like her boyfriend in private, but when they're
07:15in front of everyone else, he acts as if there's nothing going on between the two. Jae-An is also
07:20allergic to taking responsibility for his actions and holding himself accountable, deflecting from the
07:25real issues with sweet words and charming gestures. In addition to Nabi, his behavior has also managed to
07:31confuse the viewers. Some viewers appreciate that the show realistically depicts toxic relationships,
07:36while others argue it frames the toxic elements as romantic. Regardless of your perspective,
07:42it's clear that Jae-An has become the poster child for Red Flags this decade. It might be a hot
07:47take,
07:47but a lot of viewers believe the main couple, in Queen of Tears, shouldn't have ended up together.
07:53The series explores the ups and downs of love between Hong Hae-An, portrayed by Kim Ji-Won,
07:57a wealthy heiress of the Queen's group, and Baek Hyun-woo, played by Kim Soo-hyun, a farmer's son,
08:02over their three years of marriage. Even though the series was breaking records left and right,
08:07something about the main couple just didn't sit right with people. First, it was the fact that
08:12Hyun-woo celebrated when he heard that his wife was sick with a life-threatening terminal illness,
08:17and then pretended to be in love with her so he could be written into her will. Sure, they might
08:21have
08:22had a strained marriage, but it doesn't excuse the fact that he was jumping with joy at the possibility
08:27of his wife passing away. He also was at fault for running away after his wife had a miscarriage,
08:32and just assumed that she didn't care about the baby as much as he did when she was just grieving.
08:37Hae-An also had her issues like being cruel to Hyun-woo, constantly dismissing his feelings,
08:43and making him feel miserable in her presence. Even though they worked through their challenges,
08:48many viewers believe they never should have been a couple to begin with.
