“Let’s‑fake‑it‑till‑we‑make‑it”—a thought often at the heart of the contract marriage trope—has turned K‑drama rom‑coms into a sweet spot for fans. I believe our curiosity is piqued not only by the promise of a convenient wedding in these stories but also by the potential consequences of swapping vows with a clause-filled agreement. Can you help but notice how the setup, thrusting two characters into a forced-proximity situation, leads to a clash of personalities, power plays, hidden agendas, and unexpected chemistry? I really feel that’s what draws us to the genre. And that brings me to breaking down how each of the following five K‑dramas—spanning 2004 to 2025—uses the contract marriage trope and what the contract actually signifies.
Full House (2004)
In this classic, Han Ji‑eun (Song Hye-kyo) is an aspiring scriptwriter who’s been living alone after her parents passed away—her only anchor being the beloved “Full House” she inherited from her father. Ironically, her two best friends set her up with a fake vacation, only to secretly sell the house to superstar Lee Young‑jae (Rain). When Ji‑eun returns, she discovers her home is now his, and pleads with Young‑jae to let her stay. Dead‑set against the idea at first, he finally caves after a series of comedic mishaps, but only under a fixed‑term contract marriage. The whole deal is essentially meant to make his crush, Kang Hye‑won (Han Eun-jung), jealous, while she takes care of him and the household. That decided, things turn upside‑down when living together ends up flipping the sham into a real emotional tug‑of‑war.
The element of contract marriage between messy Ji-eun and fastidious Young-jae over time strips away all boundaries, showing trust, vulnerability, and how pretense can change into something real. Using the contract to incite jealousy backfires, encouraging both parties to reflect honestly on their emotions for each other. It creates uncomfortable intimacy but then also reveals insecurities and fosters personal growth. The contract is more than a plot device, highlighting societal demands—family pressures, the challenges of being in the public eye, image‑policing—while turning all things fake into a true‑love story that rewrites every clause in the agreement.
Fated to Love You (2014)
Also known as You Are My Destiny, the plot intensifies when a fateful night brings Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk) and Kim Mi-young (Jang Na-ra) together by chance after a drugged drink leads Mi-young into Gun’s hotel room, resulting in an unexpected pregnancy. Gun’s grandmother, desperate for an heir to secure the family’s future, and Gun, tough yet understanding of Mi-young’s grave situation, propose that she marry him. However, the proposal comes with a contract: she must give him a child and then divorce him after the child is born, all in exchange for financial benefits. Mi-young agrees but refuses to take money.
The pact makes Gun confront responsibilities above money matters and profit margins, while Mi‑Young, a naïve, kind-hearted woman who can’t say no, learns to set boundaries and becomes much stronger in a marriage that starts as a business deal. The appeal lies in watching them navigate love through clauses on loyalty, inheritance, and the risk of a hereditary disease that could affect their future child. But when grief enters the picture, the narrative flips completely. A sudden loss of the unborn prompts Gun and Mi-young to reevaluate everything. They begin to realize that what seemed like a secure and straightforward contract was, in fact, burdened with emotional weight and expectations they were not prepared for, and that aspect in itself ends up sparking a profound connection between them.
Because This Is My First Life (2017)
Nam Se‑hee (Lee Min-ki), an IT guy who’s trying to rent a part of his apartment, and Yoon Ji‑ho (Jung So-min), a broke writer living out of a cramped studio, enter into a contract marriage. They sign it, determined to have no emotional entanglement, just shared bills and a roof—a contract of practical needs—Se‑hee’s need for a reliable tenant and Ji-ho’s need for a place to stop couch‑surfing—and a “marriage of convenience.”
As this arrangement unfolds, its “no‑feelings” rule is shattered by emotional scars and family interference, turning the cold agreement into a pressure cooker of social expectations. Nonetheless, it turns out to be the best decision of their lives. Se‑hee, who’s been peacefully living single to date, is forced out of his routine by Ji‑ho’s arrival, struggling to process the change as well as his emerging feelings for her, while it also drags him through his past pain and helps him rediscover love. Likewise, Ji‑ho initially uses the arrangement to escape her own struggles, but it reveals to her in the process that her happiness is in who she really is and not in any approval or validation. When she walks away from Se-hee, she’s a different person altogether. The contract essentially helps her find her own voice and resume writing. And when she finally returns to Se‑hee, she returns as a confident partner who has fully reclaimed her life and agency.
My Demon (2023)
Fate brings Do Do-hee (Kim Yoo-jung), a not-so-soft-spoken and meticulous chaebol heiress, into the life of Jeong-Gu-won (Song Kang), a carefree but powerful demon. Do-hee must remain by Gu-won’s side when he suddenly loses his powers, while she needs him to protect her from enemies. To support each other, they enter into a contract marriage, wherein Gu-won will help Do-hee with a corporate takeover threatening her empire, while she stays with him until he reclaims his power.
Gu-won’s cold, distant attitude constantly contrasts with Do‑hee’s need for control. Yet, something undeniable keeps pulling them together. Their contractual bond exposes vulnerabilities: Do‑hee learns to trust an otherworldly being, while Gu‑won discovers the power of human emotions—so strong they make him weak, weak for Do‑hee, weak for her love, and weak for the yearning to be with her forever. At the same time, he’s determined to save her at any cost. In a similar vein, she’ll sacrifice herself if it means saving him. The contract metaphorically represents safety and risk, suggesting that when both parties renegotiate the terms and take a risk, the ultimate reward is love, which Do‑hee and Gu‑won find in each other.
Would You Marry Me (2025)
The drama’s “fake-newlywed” situation involves Kim Woo-joo (Choi Woo-shik), heir to a legendary bakery, who receives a surprise marriage proposal from designer Yoo Me-ri (Jung So-min). The backstory goes like this: She’s just been cheated by her ex, faced a fraudulent lease, and experienced a sudden windfall: a luxurious house that’s meant for married couples only. With her name already on the prize and her ex-fiancé’s name similar to Woo‑Joo’s, she places a contract on the table—marry her for 90 days, claim the house, and split the benefits. Woo‑Joo signs, partly confused, partially curious, but fully desperate since his rival cousin has set a trap for him, and to fix it, he needs to secure a deal with Me-ri’s company.
With only three episodes released, the show has already achieved solid ratings according to Nielsen Korea. Choi Woo-shik and Jung So-min lend serious credibility to the slice-of-life plot, witty storytelling, and the way the theme of “contract marriage” balances everything—struggles, humor, strategy, and a prospective love story. Apparently, the show will further refine its blend of comedy, strategy, and romance in the coming weeks, transforming the premise into a profound emotional journey.
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