Mr. Sunshine, Goblin and 3 other Korean May-to-December romances that helped turn Gong Yoo, Hyun Bin and Lee Byung-hun into ahjussi-sonyeo heartthrobs
Many K-dramas – such as Memories of the Alhambra, starring Yoo Jin-woo and Park Shin-hye; and My Mister, starring K-pop’s IU – have ahjussi-sonyeo (May-to-December) romance themes
Korean dramas are often ahjussi-sonyeo romances – known in English as May-to-December romances – when an older man falls in love with a much younger woman. Here’s a list of our favourite ahjussi-sonyeo dramas, starring familiar faces such as Gong Yoo, Hyun Bin and other ahjussi heartthrobs.
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God – Goblin (2016)
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (known as Goblin) tells the story of a war general turned immortal deity (a goblin). The immortal soon discovers that his longevity is a curse as he watches his loved ones die by his side. The lonesome goblin (played by Gong Yoo) is now 939 years old but appears to be a handsome 37-year-old man. His only hope for death is his long-awaited bride, a bubbly 19-year-old high school senior Ji Eun-tak, portrayed by Kim Go-eun.
This isn’t the actress’ first ahjussi-sonyeo love story. She debuted as the lead character, a 17-year-old student in the controversial film A Muse – in which the student captures the heart of a 70-year-old man.
Goblin is a magical story filled with enchanting prose, a heartwarming soundtrack and significant supporting characters.
Prime Minister & I (2013)
Yoona plays 28-year-old Nam Da-jung, a tabloid reporter who supports her ailing father. Unfortunately, Da-jung isn’t very good at her job and often misses out on sensational scoops. In search of the next big exposé, Da-jung stalks South Korea’s youngest prime minister, 42-year-old Kwon Yul (Lee Beom-soo).