6 K-Drama office romances that would be HR nightmares in reality: Encounter to Secretary Kim

Ah, only in K-dramas can office romances bloom so freely between the boss and an employee. These shows crank the drama up to eleven and play fast and loose with rules that would, in real life, earn more than a few side-eyes from HR.

In that spirit, here are some office romances we absolutely loved on screen, but let’s be honest, they might not fly in the real world. So, proceed with caution (and maybe don’t try this at your 9-to-5).

She faked a blind date with her CEO, no less.

We love Business Proposal. Forget stern grandfathers and gossiping co-workers, this is HR’s worst nightmare dressed in a rom-com bow. Kim Sejeong’s Shin Ha-ri pulls off a double life while Ahn Hyo-seop’s Kang Tae-moo slowly pieces it all together.

Adorable. Absolutely. But sneaking off for a romance behind a painting in the office? Yeah… that’s not exactly in the employee handbook.

No doubt, you could watch 18 hours of Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young being just generally fluffy and lovable. But he’s also the CEO and she’s the secretary. But clearly no one bats an eyelid, through all the workplace romance, blushing, and feverish tension that would worry any HR.

Song Kang and Park Min-young, for the win. Set in the high-pressure environment of the national weather bureau, Forecasting Love and Weather follows two coworkers, played by Park Min-young and Song Kang, as they navigate daily forecasts and emotional storms. What starts as a frosty professional dynamic quickly turns into something far more complicated… and far more romantic.

How doctors manage to have a grand romance in the midst of so much chaos, is something that deserves a special thesis. And when you have Ahn Hyo-seop at the helm, there isn’t much else to know. At Doldam Hospital, saving lives isn't the only thing heating up. Doctor Romantic 2 and 3 brings back the high-stakes medical drama, and adds a generous dose of romantic tension. Amid emergency surgeries, ethical dilemmas, and adrenaline-fueled chaos, doctors somehow find the time (and the eye contact) to fall in love.

The workplace is fast-paced, the stakes are life-or-death, and you can’t forget those stolen glances across the operating table. While most hospitals would frown upon surgeons getting heart-fluttery mid-procedure, Doldam’s staff prove that passion—professional and personal—runs deep. It’s dramatic, emotional, and just scandalous enough to keep us hooked.

She Would Never Know serves up a junior-senior marketer romance that’s equal parts sweet and scandalous. Picture this: secret office meetups, and a tangled web of hidden relationships—all the ingredients that would have HR knocking down the door. Power dynamics? Check. Secret flings? Check. Romantic gestures that might get you written up? Double check. In the real world, this drama would be a serious conflict of interest, but on screen, it’s just another delicious office romance that keeps us hooked (and maybe a little bit scandalized).

It's a gorgeous show, no doubt, starring Song Hye-kyo and Park Bo-gum.

She’s the CEO. He’s a new, much younger employee. Instant HR tension.

Encounter flips the classic boss-employee romance by putting a powerful, divorced female CEO at the centre and pairing her with a wide-eyed, idealistic junior staffer. And while the romance is more melancholic than messy, there’s no denying that HR would raise eyebrows the second these two begin romance in the hallways.