Over the past few years, the Korean wave has gone on to include a variety of Korean drama genres, including rom-com, thriller, historical, and time travel among many others. One of the most popular tropes in K-dramas is the ones where the CEO of a company falls in love with a fellow employee or a secretary. These CEO romance K dramas have seen massive popularity among avid fans.
The stories surround a rich CEO, often perceived as very rude or arrogant. However, with time, he softens, thanks to a woman in his life. In fact, the more popular CEO romance K-dramas also have some interesting storylines that involve the lead couple’s intertwined past, childhood connections, or even emotional relationships with parents that affect their own. These dramas continue to expand their plotlines and narratives, keeping viewers hooked.
Check out some of our interesting recommendations for the best K-dramas with CEO romance.
Business Proposal
Business Proposal, starring Ahn Hyeo-Seop and Kim Se-Jeong, released on February 28, 2022. The K-drama with CEO romance follows the story of a woman named Shin Ha-Ri, who goes on a blind date to scare her friend’s prospective suitor. However, the suitor turns out to be her company’s CEO, Kang Tae-Moo, who makes a rather interesting proposal. The drama is available to stream on Netflix.
King the Land
Popular K-drama King the Land tells the story of a charming CEO Jung Goo-Won (Lee Jun-Ho), who doesn’t like smiles due to a traumatic incident in the past. Meanwhile, he comes into touch with his hotel’s employee Cheon Sa-Rang, whose smile lights up the room. The two eventually fall in love, supporting each other through thick and thin. The drama released on June 17, 2023, and is available to stream on Netflix.
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim is a popular K-drama starring Park Seo-Joon and Park Min-Young. The series follows the story of an successful but narcissistic CEO Lee Young-Joon and his secretary Kim Mi-So. After tending to his needs for a long time, the latter decides to quit. The CEO does everything in his power to stop her, and the duo fall in love. The drama is available to stream on Viki.
Strong Girl Bong-Soon
Strong Girl Bong Soon tells the story of a woman named Do Bong-Soon (Park Bo-Young), who is born with superhuman strength. She uses her strength to ward off evil and fight against criminals. Witnessing the scene, a CEO named Ahn Min-Hyuk (Park Hyung-Sik) hires her to be his bodyguard. She, however, is torn between him and her childhood crush In Guk-Doo (Ji-Soo). Eventually, she falls in love with the CEO. Viewers can watch the drama on Netflix.
Suspicious Partner
Suspicious Partner stars Ji Chang-Wook and Nam Ji-Hyun in lead roles. The drama released on May 10, 2017, and tells the story of a prosecutor and his trainee, they collaborate to catch a serial killer. However, as they investigate, they find that their pasts are intertwined in the most bizarre way. The series is one of the longest K-dramas with 40 episodes. It is available to stream on Viki.
My Shy Boss
My Shy Boss is a popular K-drama that released on January 16, 2017. The series follows the story of CEO Eun Hwan-Ki (Yeon Woo-Jin) and his secretary Chae Ro-Woon (Park Hye-Su). The CEO is shy, introverted, and highly sensitive. So, he is thought to be cold and arrogant when he isn’t. He comes into touch with a new employee, who is highly extroverted and loud. She takes an interest and a liking towards the CEO. The drama is available on Viki.
More Korean dramas based on CEO-employee romance have been released over the past few years. Considering the demand and popularity of this trope, there are more to come in the next few years with more interesting storylines. Many streaming platforms, including Netflix, Viki, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and more host these dramas.
