When Kim Bum's character Kim Tae Do walked ahead of Jung Yi in a recent episode of "Goddess of Fire" he wanted to secretly clear a path so she could easily walk to her destination. That thoughtful act served as a reminder of all the many romantic gestures in kdramas that inspire viewers to say "aw...that's so sweet."
It might be said that a romantic gesture done in secret is the most romantic of all but there are a few that require participation.
For example, there's the forehead kiss, a sweet gesture designed to make the heart flutter. Kang Ji Hwan kisses Yoon Eun Hye on the forehead in "Lie To Me." Hyun Bin kissed Ha Ji Won on the forehead in Secret Garden. The long list of kdrama forehead kisses also includes Jung Il Woo kissing Lee Yo Won in "49 Days" and Kim Bum kissing Park Jin Hee in "The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry." In "Personal Taste" Lee Min Ho and Son Ye Jin give each other forehead kisses. Moon Geun Young got a forehead kiss from Kim Jae Wook in "Mary Stayed Out All Night" and one from Chun Jung Myung in "Cinderella's Sister."
Then there's the back hug. Kim Hee Sun surprises Lee Min Ho with a back hug in "Faith: The Great Doctor." But the actor, who has been called the "master of the back hug," expresses his love for Park Min Young with an equally effective back hug in "City Hunter." Yoon Eun Hye broke the ice by back hugging her princely husband Ju Ji Hoon in "Princess Hours" and in "Pasta," Gong Hyo Jin, uses the back hug to convince her Chef to return to the kitchen.
Then of course there is the piggyback ride. The piggyback ride usually takes place when a person has consumed too much soju and cannot walk home. It's more than friendly though as it shows that the person giving the ride cares about the other person.
In "My Lovely Km Sam Soon," Hyun Bin gives Kim Sun Ah a piggyback ride when she is drunk. They do not yet openly acknowledge their attraction to each other but he knows he cares enough to take her home. In "Coffee Prince," Yoon Eun Hye gives Gong Yoo a ride while she's pretending to be a boy and later on when he knows she is a girl, he gives her one. The only bromance piggyback ride may be Ji Sung giving Kim Jae Joong a piggyback ride and then tucking him into bed in "Protect The Boss."
And then there are the scenes where you know someone cares because they cover the other person with a blanket. While this is just a friendly gesture, it's often used to show romantic intentions. When Lee Bo Young first covers Lee Jong Suk with a blanket in "I Hear Your Voice," you know that she is starting to care for him in a different way. Even if it's summer in a kdrama, covering someone with a blanket is a sign of love.