True to their commonly used moniker, many K-dramas (South Korean scripted television programming of any genre) can get quite melodramatic at times. Even the most uproarious Korean comedies know when to add some raw, emotional moments between the laughs, and the pure drama shows swing even harder with their tearjerker scenes. Korean television has been expertly crafting sad stories for years, with some of the best K-dramas of all time being outright tragedies. As K-dramas continue to find popularity with international audiences, there are plenty of shows to choose from if you just need a good, cathartic cry.

From period piece epics to intimate love stories cut tragically short, melancholy K-dramas span a wide breadth of genres and narrative premises. The unifying element in all these shows are how utterly depressing they are, with their soul-crushing endings likely leaving viewers emotional wrecks for days. At the same time, there is...