Top 5 Saddest Korean Dramas

Korean drama makers seem determined to wring as many tears as possible from the viewers' eyes. Whether it's sentimental first love, terminal illnesses, or tragic accidents, there always seems to be an obstacle in the way of true love. Here's our list of the top 5 saddest Korean dramas produced yet that have made us take out the tissue box and cry some buckets. Warning, spoilers galore!

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5. Glass Shoes

The modern Cinderella story is a story of lost sisters, Tae Hee and Yun Hee, searching for each other. In the process, they of course end up loving the same guy. The plot had a lot of twists and turns to drain the emotions, however, it is when they finally reunite after many misunderstandings, sufferings, and illnesses that make the most impact. So Ji Sub as Park Chul Woong also immediately left an impression and snuck into the hearts of viewers as the underdog lover. His relentless pursuit of love at the end won him the girl but tragedy strikes as he dies saving her in a fight - on their wedding day!

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4. Winter Sonata

The second "season" drama after the popular "Autumn Love Story", "Winter Sonata" is about unforgettable first love, even after 10 years. The Joon-sang and Yu-jin couple is torn apart by a car accident, mistaken death and amnesia. When they finally reunite, the unveiling of Joon Sang's father and Joon Sang's deteriorating health pushed the couple to suffer even more. Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo were excellent in dragging out the tears in their performances. However, the sad-meter for this drama can only be #4 simply because of the reunion at the end.

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3. Staircase to Heaven

The childhood story was wonderful in this drama, especially because Lee Wan's character as Han Tae-hwa was so interesting - you almost want Jung-suh to end up with him. Actually, they made another drama, "Trees of Heaven", that is spun off of this couple, which was also pretty sad too if you're up for it. Choi Ji Woo and Kwon Sang Woo have eyes that seem made for crying because they are eternally sad and crying. This drama was really a collage of all the elements of cliched Korean drama - unforgettable pure first love, amnesia, obsessed girlfriends/boyfriends of the male and female leads, and...cancer tearing apart the couple.

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2. I'm Sorry, I Love You

Aww.. So Ji Sub's character, Cha Moo-hyuk, dies AGAIN! There is an underlying sense of impending tragedy since you know there is a bullet stuck in his head and he only has a few months left to live - though you can't help but hope for a miracle. He's out for revenge on his mother for abandoning him and his twin sister after birth but in the end finds forgiveness when he finds love in Song Eun-chae. The dramatic irony causes a lot of heartbreak because the mother doesn't know his identity, even to the end, and says and does a lot of things that hurt him. After Moo-hyuk dies, Eun-chae goes back to reminisce their time together in Australia and then kills herself by his grave. Her parting words, she wants to do one selfish act for herself in life for the first time and chooses to join him in death. Wow! I hope that doesn't glorify suicide. The music soundtrack was also pretty sad and depressing.

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1. Endless Love (Autumn Love Story)

The drama that we think started it all. With its beautiful countryside autumn backdrop and a cast of eye candy, this drama had all the elements of a tragic love story - mixed identities, childhood first love, taboo brother-sister relationship, and of course, the terminal illness - leukemia. It didn't hurt that the cast was also lovely to look at, with Song Seung Hun, Song Hye Kyo, and Won Bin, making it all the more sad. What also put it to the top was that the main male character also dies after getting hit by a truck at the end - one can argue that he can finally reunite with his lover in Heaven, but it's pretty twisted. This is however, a story of pure love and filmed beautifully.