Sora
Sue me to my last dime, but this age-old trope still gives me the flutters and something tells me this won’t ever change.
I mean, I’ve watched a whole lot of Korean dramas where the man is rich and the woman is poor, but it always still feels fresh and super interesting to watch.
I’ve now listed 17 of my personal favourites that I genuinely feel everyone needs to give a chance right now.
1. A Business Proposal
This romantic comedy is centred around Shin Ha Ri, who, while substituting for her friend on a blind date, discovers that her date is Kang Tae Moo, the CEO of her workplace.
These two quite literally invented the cat and rat trope in Kdramas and I love them so much even today because they were so funny and their romance so endearing.
2. Clean With Passion For Now
Jang Seon Kyul is a germaphobe CEO of a cleaning company, who finds an unlikely ally in Gil Oh Sol, a carefree woman working for him.
Through Oh-sol’s influence, Seon Kyul heals from his last trauma and soon romance blossoms unexpectedly between the both of them.
3. King: The Land
In this drama, Goo Won, the heir of The King Group, is barely hanging on tight as he wages an inheritance war against his sister, and soon romance blows into his orbit.
Goo Won’s chemistry with Sa Rang in King The Land was a hot topic last year and that’s simply because they were so beautiful and amazing together – this only proves that my theory about rich boy poor girl Kdramas is true.
4. Something About 1%
Lee Jae In, a wealthy and arrogant CEO, reluctantly enters into a six-month contract dating Kim Da Hyun, an ordinary school teacher to please his grandfather.
But what starts as animosity transforms into genuine feelings and the seemingly mismatched pair soon found themselves so helplessly in love with each other.
5. The Liar and His Lover
This musical romance follows the love story between genius songwriter Kang Han Gyeol and talented high school singer Yoon So Rim.
6. The Heirs
If you’ve watched Heirs, then you probably know that this drama birthed the decades-old discourse about misplaced privilege and the excessively flamboyant lives the rich live.
This drama is all about the lives of privileged high school students, and it focuses on Kim Tan’s conflicted love between Cha Eun Sang and his engagement to Yoo Rachel.
7. The King: Eternal Monarch
Our male lead in this drama (Lee Min Ho as Lee Gon) is a whole king, so needless to say, he’s loaded and he knows.
This fantasy drama is also incredibly popular, but if you don’t know the plot, this drama has everything from parallel worlds to doppelgangers to a super thrilling plot.
Jung Tae Eul, our female lead, is a detective and while she isn’t too poor, her riches definitely do not compare to a King’s.
8. Secret Garden
Secret Garden is a romantic comedy with a body-swap twist between Kim Joo Won, an eccentric CEO, and stuntwoman Gil Ra Im.
In this funny and romantic Kdrama, Hyun Bin is our very eccentric male lead who must learn to live as a stuntwoman and, you guys, it was so fun seeing the parallels between their lives.
9. Boys Over Flowers
An iconic drama through and through, Boys Before Flowers is one of the most popular rich boy and poor girl Kdramas that revolves around Gu Jun Pyo, leader of the F4, and his love for Geum Jan Di, a spunky scholarship student.
Even if you haven’t watched this drama, you’re going to recognise the OST once you hear it and this list literally wouldn’t be complete without this OG drama.
10. Goblin
When Eun Tak and Kim Shin meet for the first time, she’s making a wish for a job, a boyfriend, and a solution to her issues with her family.
And as time goes on and she’s kicked out of her relatives’ home, she ends up moving into his mansion and to say she was shocked would probably be an understatement.
If you’ve watched Goblin, you probably know that Kim Shin thrives when there’s attention on him and when he steps out, he does it in the most glamorous way.
11. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim
This romantic office romance comedy revolves around the narcissistic VP Lee Young Joon and his secretary Kim Mi So.
It’s only when Mi So decides to quit that Young Joon discovers his feelings for her and he starts trying to beg her to stay.
It’s usually said that most chaebols learned all they know from Lee Young Joon of WWWSK and you guys, I can tell you for a fact that it’s true – he’s the blueprint for lavish spending, over-the-top declarations, and awkward scenes where he slums it with the commoners.
12. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
Do Bong Soon, a woman with super strength, becomes the bodyguard of gaming CEO Ahn Min Hyuk, and soon they fall in love while navigating threats from left and right.
I watched this rich man and poor woman Kdrama on Netflix years ago and my only thought was that it would be so nice to be rich (I still think about this today).
13. I’m Not a Robot
In this rom-com Kdrama, Kim Min Kyu is allergic to humans and after a robot malfunction, Jo Ji Ah is hired to pretend to be a humanoid robot.
Chockful of humour, romance, and sweetness, I adored the way the romance between Min Kyu and Ji Ah bloomed slowly but surely.
You guys, Min Kyu from this drama literally lived in a fabulous and gigantic mansion in the middle of the woods while Ji Ah was out of work and if that isn’t a wealth disparity, I don’t know what it is.
14. My Secret Romance
Cha Jin Wook and Lee Yoo Mi have a one-night stand and don’t meet each other for years, but when they do, she’s an employee and he’s the brash CEO who’s bent on getting revenge on her for leaving him the morning after.
The steaminess was out of the world in this one and I loved every second of it, and trust me when I say you’ll love the way our chaebol falls head over heels in love with her.
15. Uncontrollably Fond
Shin Joon Young played by Kim Woo Bin is a popular actor and Noh Eul played by Bae Suzy is a documentary producer who’s willing to do anything and everything for money.
These two share a past love, and when Joon Young is told that he has a terminal illness, he tries to rekindle their relationship.
16. Dali And The Cocky Prince
One thing I absolutely loved about this drama is that while it technically comes under the rich/poor trope, it takes the template and switches things up.
Kim Dal Li, our female lead, finds out she’s in a lot of debt after her father dies and she inherits his art gallery, but she schooled abroad and is this super posh, cultured woman who’s delicate but strong.
Meanwhile, our male lead Jin Moo Hak might be wealthier, but he’s presented as a businessman who only struck gold recently so he’s decidedly unrefined and unconventional, but their very different personalities are what made the drama all the more endearing.
Up Next: 8 Romance-Free Korean Dramas That Hit The Right Notes
How many of these rich guy and poor girl Kdramas have you watched and how many have you now added to your watchlist? Let me know in the comments below.
And, don’t forget that the related posts have so much more to offer so you definitely want to give them a chance.
