10 Binge-Worthy K-Dramas with The Rich Boy/Poor Girl Trope

Recently, Hollywood cinema has not been rich in romantic comedies. But in Korea, rom-coms are alive and well — and one of the most popular sub-genres is the story of a rich guy and a poor girl.

After all, sometimes we all want to believe in a fairy tale, right?

1. Wedding Impossible, 2024

A-jeong is a very talented but very unsuccessful actress — she only gets supporting roles. A-jeong has a best friend Do-han. They have been friends since high school, but have not seen each other for a few years because Do-han has been living in New York.

He returns to Korea when he learns that his grandfather is sick. Do-han's grandfather wants to make him the new director of his company. And to get the shareholders to accept him, he will marry him to the heiress of another equally influential company.

But Do-han lies to his relatives that he has been in love with A-jeong for a long time, and then offers her a fictitious marriage — for three years. At the same time, Do-han's younger brother Ji-han tries to prevent this marriage.

2. The Heirs, 2013

The 2013 drama The Heirs has long since become classic — its unusual approach to the setting of the story continues to entertain viewers more than ten years after its premiere.

Cha Eun-sang, the daughter of a deaf-mute maid, visits her sister in the US, where she meets Kim Tan, the heir to a huge corporation. When she returns to Korea, fate lands her in the same school as Kim Tan, where she meets his arrogant friend Young-do, encounters the harsh morals of a school for rich kids, and is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions.

3. The Secret Life of My Secretary, 2019

Once a year, the despotic and restless boss of an IT company, Do Min-ik, fires his secretaries and appoints new ones. This year, he also fired Jung Gal-hee, even though she was his right hand and managed all his tasks.

But immediately after the dismissal, the employee had to be brought back: due to a fall from a height, the boss began to suffer from prosopagnosia — he can no longer distinguish all faces except for Gal-hee in her favorite red cardigan.

And then, when the girl dresses up for a blind date, Do Min-ik fails to recognize her and mistakes her for the heiress of a rich family — it is not hard to guess that this meeting will end in love at first sight.

4. So I Married the Anti-Fan, 2021

Journalist Lee Geun-young goes to the opening of a club where she witnesses what she considers to be the outrageous behavior of idol Hoo Joon. She intervenes in his conflict with another girl and everything goes wrong — her camera is broken, she vomits on the popular singer's shoes and loses her job.

Of course, she becomes Hoo Joon's biggest anti-fan — until she gets an offer to participate in a reality show where superstars survive under the same roof with anti-fans. Geun-young has no money so she has to agree to participate.

5. Business Proposal, 2022

Shin Ha-ri suffers from the lack of mutual feelings with her unrequited boyfriend, and then her hopes are completely dashed: the guy finds someone else. At the same time, her rich friend sends Shin Ha-ri on a date with the guy instead of herself.

When it turns out that the girl is going to meet the young and successful CEO of her own company, Kang Tae-moo, a new and exciting story of love and transformation begins.

6. What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, 2018

The boss of an influential giant corporation, Lee Young-joon, is arrogant, successful and handsome. He is completely perplexed when his highly qualified secretary Kim Mi-so suddenly decides to end her career at the company.

She wants to live for herself and find out what she is worth without working for a rich boss. But the insulted Lee Young-joon is not going to let the woman go so easily: not only from the company, but also from his life.

7. The King: Eternal Monarch, 2020

The King: Eternal Monarch is an unusual representative of the rich guy/poor girl series in this list, as it would have found a place in both fantasy dramas and alternative history projects.

According to the plot, there is a parallel kingdom to today's South Korea, where Emperor Lee Gon ends up. Here he meets detective Jeong Tae-eul, and love begins to grow in two parallel universes: unequal and threatened, because Lee Gon's rival and uncle is already gathering an army against him in two worlds.

Action, blood, a double for each character in a parallel world, beautiful costumes and a fantastic Korea — this drama has everything to keep you glued to the screen until the last episode.

8. Strong Girl Bong-soon, 2017

Do Bong-soon has incredible strength, which she constantly and unsuccessfully hides in order to impress her lover. Despite her love for pink, she is not cute: when Bong-soon is not playing computer games, she can literally move mountains.

This is the curse of the women in her family, who earn their living by making the most delicious nut cakes in the area. One day, the director of a large IT company, Ahn Min-hyuk, sees the girl beating up the bullies and hires her as his bodyguard.

9. Cinderella and the Four Knights, 2016

The cheerful Eun Ha-won is trying to find herself after graduating from high school — she is tired of living with her father and stepmother and urgently needs something new.

Luckily for her, an old man offers her to live in a rich mansion as a thank you for her help. Ha-won has no idea that three of the old man’s heirs will share the house with her and fight for her heart. A womanizer, a bully and a slacker will show their best and worst qualities trying to impress Ha-won. But soon there will be not three, but four of them.

10. Shopping King Louis, 2016

The heir of a wealthy family, Kang Ji-sung, or Louis, who is always shopping online, and the poor girl Ko Bok-shil were never meant to meet. While she mourned her grandmother in a hut without walls or doors, Louis lived in a golden cage built for him by his rich grandmother.

To his own luck, however, the young man lost his memory. Now his new acquaintance will help him in everything: learning not to spend millions, not to fall for the tricks of cheaters, and to defend his opinion.