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.
- K-POP and Korean tear-jerker songs: tracks that deeply resonate and bring you to tears
- [Exquisite Ballad Songs] K-pop that touches the soul. Korean Ballads
- K-pop that touches the heart: masterful ballads by Korean male artists
- K-pop that touches the heart: iconic ballads by Korean female artists
- K-pop and Korean love songs: Love songs that really capture the Korean view of romance
- A poignant, heart-touching K-pop song. A bittersweet track that resonates with many different emotions.
- [K-POP] Korean 'yami' songs that fit a blue mood
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- An emotional Korean song. A gently moving, sensitive masterpiece.
- [Korean popular music] Popular trot songs. Masterpieces by trot singers.
- A J-POP song highly popular in South Korea [with a Korean-language cover too!]
- [Korea] A ballad-style friendship song. A roundup of classic K-pop masterpieces
- K-pop to color your Instagram stories: recommended Korean songs
Tearjerker K-pop Ballads: Korean Songs That Make You Cry (71–80)
Beautiful PainBTOB
Among BTOB’s songs, this is one of the most heartrending ballads.
It was released in 2018.
First of all, their beautiful vocals are irresistible.
It’s important, so I’ll say it again: their beautiful vocals are irresistible.
The Japanese title would be something like “Beautiful Yet Sad,” and it’s a masterpiece ballad that exudes fragility and the expressive power of the BTOB members.
It sings of meetings and partings, the passage of time, and toward the latter half it gradually gains warmth and beauty to the point that you can’t hold back tears.
It makes you realize you want to cherish each and every moment.
JoseeHYNN
Josee, a song that reminisces about a former lover.
Released in 2023 by HYNN (Park Hye-won), renowned for her powerful vocals and noted for reaching the Top 3 on the audition show Superstar K 2016.
For those who chose to part ways due to various circumstances, this track will resonate especially deeply.
Its lyrics, which seem to vividly revive old memories, may even make you want to revisit those nostalgic places.
It gently stirs the heart as it reflects on someone striving in a different world.
Immerse yourself in the song’s universe along with the beautiful visuals of the music video—set around the sea and featuring the artist herself.
Time and Trace하현상 (Ha Hyun Sang)
To varying degrees, everyone probably finds themselves caught up in past events at times, don’t they? This is a song that stays by your side in those moments.
It’s a bittersweet rock ballad by Ha Hyunsang—who served as guitarist and vocalist for Hoppipolla and won the audition program Superband, which also produced LUCY.
Released in 2023 as the title track of his first album, it captures the aimlessness of wandering through days without direction and the helplessness that comes with the passage of time.
It seeps into those emotions.
In the end, a saving phrase turns your gaze forward, and the lyrics—urging you toward the next path—touch the heartstrings once again.
DREAMBABYMONSTER
BABYMONSTER is a girl group born from the documentary program “Last Evaluation.” Their pre-debut track is “DREAM.” The song portrays sleepless nights filled with worries and a strong determination to face challenges.
It starts as a gentle ballad, gradually builds in intensity, and even features a call-and-response section in the latter half.
Its heartfelt message and straightforward vocals will move you to tears when you’re going through tough times.
Why did I end up falling in love with you?Tōhōshinki
TVXQ are also focusing on their activities in Japan.
One of their signature songs is “Why Did I Fall in Love with You?” It drew major attention, including winning the Japan Record Award, so many people likely know it.
The lyrics portray, from a male perspective, love for the woman who left him.
A key point is how the title phrase is gradually altered as the song delves deeper into his emotions.
By the way, there are also a cappella and remixed versions of the track.
They have a different vibe, so give them a listen.
Star 1117ATEEZ
The love-filled ballad “Star 1117” was released by the boy group ATEEZ in 2020 and included on the album “TREASURE EPILOGUE: Action To Answer,” the conclusion of the series.
The title 1117 refers to the day the fandom name ATINY was decided, carrying heartfelt sentiments directed toward their fans.
When you listen to this song, vivid memories are sure to come flooding back.
The lyrics, which liken a beloved person to a star, overlap with an unbreakable bond and make your heart swell.
Above all, the group’s beautiful vocals—especially the soaring emotion in the latter half—are moving to the point of tears.
A Song For YouNu’Est
A ballad released in 2019, when NU’EST celebrated their 7th debut anniversary.
It’s a song dearly loved by fans.
All the members wrote the lyrics together, and the heartfelt message they wanted to deliver to fans resonates warmly and gently.
The long-awaited Japanese version, released after a while, stirs up all kinds of emotions—the feeling of having waited so long—and can even move you to tears.
It’s a song of gratitude built on cherished feelings and careful attention to every detail.
It really makes your heart swell.
WindFTISLAND
An epic rock ballad released by the band FTISLAND in 2017.
It was included on their commemorative 10th-anniversary album, OVER 10 YEARS.
A fragile, heartrending song that seeps into a weary heart.
Beginning with a gentle, piano-based arrangement that gradually layers into an intense band sound, it pulls you in even deeper.
Hongki’s commanding vocals—like he’s pouring out everything he feels—amplify the emotion even more.
It’s filled to the brim with an unbreakable longing, to the point where the sorrow of heartbreak feels unstoppable.
To You My Light (Feat 이라온)MAKTUB
A song about thinking of a beloved girlfriend on sleepless nights.
MAKTUB is a singer-songwriter who became famous with this track.
It’s not a sad tearjerker, but a song that brings tears over the wonder of love.
As the title suggests, he sings that she is like a light to him.
MAKTUB’s delicate vocals and the beautiful melody convey his single-minded devotion to her.
It’s perfect as a lullaby for bedtime, soothing you even as it brings you to tears.
Endless EndingBEAST (HIGHLIGHT)
After nine years, the boy group HIGHLIGHT releases a moving ballad under the name BEAST.
It’s a pre-release track from their mini-album “From Real to Surreal,” which came out in April 2025, and it’s a poignant love song likened to a movie’s ending.
The song features contributions from Nu’Maker and other artists from Room01, capturing the group’s emotions as they overcame a name change and trademark issues.
Main vocalist Yang Yoseop’s crystal-clear voice and the members’ expressive harmonies resonate deeply.
It’s a gem of a ballad to listen to on nights when you want to dwell on past memories or in moments when you’re thinking of someone special.