A poignant, heart-touching K-pop song. A bittersweet track that resonates with many different emotions.
There are many Korean songs and K-pop tracks that stay close to those bittersweet feelings.
Whether it’s a gently sung melody or a delivery rich with emotion, they draw you deeper into the world of the song.
There are also many ballads that truly tighten your chest and make your heart ache as you listen.
Not just “sadness,” but nostalgia, memories of days that won’t return, and a tender kind of poignancy—here are some ‘setsuna’ songs that capture a range of emotions.
Please listen while reflecting on your own circumstances.
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Heart-touching, bittersweet K-pop songs. “Setsuna” songs that resonate with various emotions (161–170)
이별하러 가는 길NIEL
The lead track from Niel, an artist from South Korea, off his January 2024 album PARTING EMOTION.
It’s a gentle ballad that Niel himself helped write and compose.
The song portrays the complex emotions of a man facing a breakup, with rhythmic accompaniment and powerful vocals that leave a strong impression.
While looking back on a lost love, the lyrics also reaffirm a resolve to move forward, something many listeners are likely to relate to.
Its wintry atmosphere is another part of its charm.
It’s the perfect song for healing the pain of heartbreak or when you want to sink into a bittersweet mood.
It Was LoveOnestar(임한별)
A moving ballad depicting the aching heart of a man has arrived from Korea.
It’s a song by Onestar, released in May 2024.
The lyrics, in which he remembers a former lover and realizes he was in love, are striking, suffused with regret for someone precious he has lost.
Lim Han-Byul’s delicate vocals are sure to resonate with listeners.
Known as an OST singer and a master of ballads, Onestar showcases his true strengths in this work as well.
This is a song I especially recommend to anyone who has experienced both the joys and sorrows of love.
All I DoRoy Kim
A heartbreak song that honestly sings, “I think of you all day.” Depending on how you take it, it could also be a unrequited love song.
It was featured as an insert song in the Korean drama Romance and included as a bonus track on the third installment of the original soundtrack.
The singer, Roy Kim, is a highly accomplished Korean singer-songwriter.
He rose to the top of the audition program Superstar K4, which recorded the highest competition rate in the show’s history with 2.08 million applicants, and made his major debut in 2013.
With a smileShin Ye Young
A moving ballad woven by South Korean singer-songwriter Shin Yeyeon.
Showcasing her delicate emotional expression and refined arrangement, this work tenderly sings of the happy days and lingering feelings for a loved one.
Released in 2018 as a collaborative number by composer Moon Sung-wook and singer Lim Jae-hyun, it was reborn in July 2024 with her new vocal performance, capturing listeners’ hearts.
The lyrics, reflecting unrequited love and parting, are poignant—and grow even deeper through Yeyeon’s voice.
Even while carrying the pain of heartbreak, the will to look forward comes through, offering comfort to those who listen.
GoodbyeSoYeon(LABOUM)
With a clear, gentle vocal that resonates with the heart, Soyeon delivers a moving ballad.
A member of LABOUM from South Korea, she made her solo debut with this song, released as a digital single in March 2024.
It begins with calm piano and guitar, and by the final section, radiant strings layer in, revealing a deeper, hidden sorrow.
The loneliness of parting from someone precious, the brave resolve to let go with a smile—these intertwined emotions are carefully woven, sinking deep into the listener’s heart.
This is a masterpiece that everyone who has experienced the end of a romance should hear.
Pray임한별, 에스페로
As a ballad from Korea that sings of a heartrending love, it has captured the hearts of fans.
Released in February 2024, the song exquisitely blends Lim Han-byul’s warm vocals with E’LAST’s harmonies.
Crafted by composer Cho Young-soo, it features melodies and lyrics that evoke deep emotion.
While portraying high school baseball players on the brink of defeat, it conveys the importance of moving forward.
The lyrics, imbued with messages of effort and hope, resonate with many.
It’s recommended for times when you need courage or a boost of support.
바람 (Wind)Jeon Seunghwan (Chon Sunfuan)
Ballad singer Jung Seung-hwan released this in 2016.
It’s part of the OST for the drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, known in Japan as “Rei: Hana Moyuru 8-nin no Oujitachi,” starring Lee Joon-gi and IU.
Carried by gentle piano and acoustic sounds, Jung Seung-hwan’s delicate expressiveness and deeply emotive vocals draw you right in.
No matter how much you love someone, things don’t always work out—differences in circumstances and other hardships inevitably arise.
There’s also that fleeting ache that sometimes slips through your fingers.
You’ll be moved by the protagonist’s feelings—their single-minded sincerity that resonates so strongly.
