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Tearjerker K-pop ballads: Korean songs that will make you cry

When do you break down in tears?

When you go through a breakup, when you can no longer see someone important to you—so many emotions can well up at times like these.

Here, we carefully curate and introduce K-pop “songs that make you cry” that stand close to each person’s desire to weep.

From tracks that overwhelm with grand, expansive worlds to songs that intimately capture everyday life, we cover a wide range—classic staples, of course, and new releases added as they come.

May these emotion-rich songs unique to K-pop help soothe your heart, even just a little.

Heart-wrenching K-pop Ballads: Korean Tearjerker Songs (21–30)

Can You Hear MeTAEYEON 태연

[SNSD] Taeyeon – Can You Hear Me, 태연 – 들리나요, For Guys Only 20150214
Can You Hear MeTAEYEON 태연

A classic, gently swelling ballad that seeps into your heart: “Can You Hear Me (들리나요).” It was featured as an insert song in the 2008 MBC drama Beethoven Virus.

Taeyeon’s exceptional vocal prowess and expressive delivery are truly overwhelming.

The lyrics, which convey feelings like “I love you but can’t take the step,” and “Being by your side isn’t the only form of love,” squeeze your heart tight.

Even if it isn’t fate, I want to believe; I can’t stop.

If you’re caught in an unrequited love, this song will resonate deeply and likely move you to tears.

It’s a ballad that lets longing spill out—perfect for long nights.

KEI
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Early SpringChoi Yu Ree

최유리 – 초봄 [Music Video]
Early SpringChoi Yu Ree

Choi Yuri is a South Korean singer-songwriter who gently captures everyday emotions with her soft, warm-toned voice.

A highly skilled artist, she won the Grand Prize at the 29th Yoo Jae-ha Music Contest and is also known for contributing to the OST of the drama “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.” Her work released in February 2026 is “Early Spring,” a piece that delicately portrays the threshold between winter and spring, carried by piano and string melodies.

She wrote and composed the song herself, crafting a ballad that expresses a heart swaying between anxiety and comfort.

This release comes about four months after her previous album, “머무름, 하나 (Stay, One).” It’s a song best enjoyed when your heart feels a little tired or during a quiet night alone—one that gently stays by your side and soothes a chilled heart.

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Tearjerker K-POP Ballads: Korean Songs That Will Make You Cry (31–40)

맨정신(SOBER)BIGBANG

The Korean title is “Sober.” It sings of suffering—how, in a sober, ordinary state of mind, you can’t possibly remain calm.

“Sober” refers to not being drunk.

In other words, the person in this song is drinking and can’t breathe without borrowing the power of alcohol.

From the melancholy melody, you can tell they’re in an extremely tough situation.

When you run into a wall, listening to it might resonate with you on a gut level, beyond logic.

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CrybabyZia

[MV] Zia(지아) _ Crybaby(울보라 그래)
CrybabyZia

The song released by solo singer Jia in November 2024 is a ballad that delicately portrays the pain of heartbreak and self-loathing.

Blending piano melodies with orchestration, it highlights Jia’s rich, resonant vocals.

It captures the protagonist’s shifting emotions and loneliness as they self-mockingly call themselves a “crybaby,” leaving a powerful impression on listeners.

With deeply introspective lyrics and a sophisticated arrangement, this track is perfect for anyone who’s experienced heartbreak or is seeking a song that truly moves the heart.

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DEARESTTōhōshinki

Tohoshinki / “DEAREST” Music Video (Full Version)
DEARESTTōhōshinki

The ballad by TVXQ that portrays a love transcending life and death has deeply moved listeners.

One of the gems on their 20th-anniversary album “ZONE” tenderly sings of the happiness of feeling a bond with a loved one, and of moving forward with hope even while reflecting on the fragility of life.

Set against a classical arrangement rich with piano and strings, the voices of Yunho and Changmin resonate beautifully, drawing listeners into a world full of emotion.

Released in November 2024, the song’s music video also depicts a timeless bond of love through the story of a grandfather and a young girl.

When facing heartbreak or a turning point in life, this song is sure to be by your side.

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7월 7일 (One Of These Nights)Red Velvet

Red Velvet 레드벨벳 ‘7월 7일 (One Of These Nights)’ MV
7월 7일 (One Of These Nights)Red Velvet

A ballad released by Red Velvet in 2016.

As the title “July 7th” suggests, it’s a Tanabata song themed around Orihime and Hikoboshi.

It will likely resonate with those in a long-distance relationship or anyone unable to see someone important to them.

Time spent with a loved one can feel as if it stands still—and when you can’t meet, that feeling is even stronger.

This song, which stays by your side even in hard times, can bring you to tears.

It’s a classic, straightforward ballad, but there are many interpretations surrounding it, so give it a listen from that angle as well.

KEI
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In My DreamSUPER JUNIOR

SUPER JUNIOR, a group whose members have each long led the Korean entertainment scene as individuals as well, released this song on their 4th album, BONAMANA, in 2010.

It’s a ballad that chronicles the feelings after a breakup.

The narrator dreams of peacefully drifting into sleep and spending happy moments there, only to wake and find their lover no longer by their side—overflowing with that kind of poignant sorrow.

The wish to simply fall into an eternal sleep seeps into the hollow left in the heart by lost love.

Their vocal performances, too, draw you in and make you empathize, as if being gently wrapped in the emotion.

KEI
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