[Exquisite Ballad Songs] K-pop that touches the soul. Korean Ballads
When you think of K-POP, many movement-starting idol songs come to mind, but in Korea, ballads are even more popular than in Japan and are loved by a wide range of generations, regardless of age or gender.
The emotionally rich singing style of Korean artists can really move you, even if you don’t understand the lyrics.
We’ll be picking out lots of wonderful ballads—not only by idols, but also by solo singers and musicians!
Be sure to find a favorite ballad that resonates with your heart.
- K-pop that touches the heart: masterful ballads by Korean male artists
- K-pop that touches the heart: iconic ballads by Korean female artists
- Tearjerker K-pop ballads: Korean songs that will make you cry
- Stylish K-pop and Korean songs. Songs with a nice vibe.
- An emotional Korean song. A gently moving, sensitive masterpiece.
- A poignant, heart-touching K-pop song. A bittersweet track that resonates with many different emotions.
- [Touching the Heart] Timeless Ballad Masterpieces. A Collection of Unfading Classics and the Latest Songs [2026]
- Korean karaoke songs: beloved tunes from popular ballads to K-pop
- [Korean Oldies · Genre-Free] Songs from Korea you’ll want to listen to now—nostalgic Korean tracks
- [Korean popular music] Popular trot songs. Masterpieces by trot singers.
- Cute K-pop and Korean songs: heartwarming, energizing, and heart-throbbing tunes
- [Solo Singer Special] K-POP & Korean Male Solo Artists
- [For when you want to cry] A ballad love song. A heartbreaking love song.
Exquisite Ballad Songs: K-pop that touches the soul. Korean Ballads (111–120)
Don’t Forget(잊어버리지마) (Feat. Taeyeon(태연))Crush
Released in 2016, this song embodies Crush’s sense of “back to basics,” overflowing with a gentle yet beautiful worldview that expresses love, gratitude, and wishes for his fans.
Be sure to watch the music video as well, with its stunning landscapes shot in Hokkaido and striking contrasts of color.
You know how a song you once fell in love with stays deeply in your heart along with the emotions and memories of that time, and how its unchanging charm still moves you even as time passes.
This feels like a ballad that reminds you of just how wonderful music can be.
Zion.T—indispensable in the Korean hip-hop scene—also participated in writing and composing, and Taeyeon is featured on the track.
[Exquisite Ballad Songs] K-pop that resonates with the soul. Korean Ballads (121–130)
Sudden ShowerEclipse
A song by the Korean unit ECLIPSE, produced for the drama “Lovely Runner.” It was released as an OST on April 8, 2024.
This bittersweet yet hopeful ballad portrays a love that arrives like a sudden rain.
The determination to keep protecting a precious person in a lonely world is beautifully expressed, and the delicate vocals and melody deeply resonate.
With romantic lyrics that wish to make a fleeting moment with a lover last forever, it’s a song anyone can relate to.
This masterpiece that colors the drama is one to listen to while thinking of the person you love.
AND INU’EST W
It sings about the pain of being unable to forget an ex and the courage to try to change.
Doing things in a dream that you can’t do in reality.
Chasing after a lover who’s leaving and trying to stop her.
If we had met in a completely different place, maybe she would still be with me now.
Clinging to a love that ended like this gradually turns into a resolve to move forward in the end.
Tears FlowNoel
It was used as the teaser song for the historical drama “Goddess of Fire, Jeongi,” which aired in 2013.
Noel is a four-member male group that debuted in 2002.
True to K-pop love songs, it conveys a sense of wistfulness and heartfelt longing for a beloved person.
As time goes byPark Boram
A poignant ballad released by Korean songstress Park Boram to mark the 10th anniversary of her debut.
It’s included on the mini-album “The Last Song,” released in August 2024.
Singing of the passage of time and parting, this piece is a re-arrangement of a song she performed on an audition program 14 years ago.
The gentle piano melody and her emotive vocals resonate deeply.
Made possible through the cooperation of Park Boram’s bereaved family and her former agency, the song was released after her sudden passing and has deeply moved fans.
It’s a perfect track for reminiscing about cherished moments with someone important.
To heavenChosonmo
Lee Byung-hun appears in the music video.
It’s a tear-jerking love ballad, typical of Korean ballads.
The song is written as a letter to a lover who has gone to heaven.
As you follow the lyrics, the distance between the two grows and grows, and it makes you want to cry.
Right after losing a loved one, it’s hard to accept it as reality…
The overall feel is pop and not heavy, but there’s a noteworthy section where a chorus comes in and it almost feels like opera.
Have a drinkHONG JIN YOUNG
During the Japanese colonial era, Korea was greatly influenced by Japanese enka, and later a unique enka-based genre called trot became popular.
Hong Jin-young is a leading female singer of this trot genre.
Her new song “Have a Drink” is arranged with a sound reminiscent of the classic Japanese pop ballads of the 1980s and early 1990s.
The melody is based on the pentatonic scale, a hallmark of Japanese music, making it feel familiar to Japanese listeners—so be sure to check it out.
