Why the swoon-worthy romances of Korean TV are winning over American viewers

This Valentine's Day, grab a box of tissues and be prepared to shed a tear — or several. Because the nuanced, slow-paced storylines of Korean dramas have emerged as a poignant alternative to Hollywood romantic comedies.

Across genres — action, crime, sci-fi — Korean dramas regularly integrate romantic elements. And bringing viewers to tears is one of their foremost measures of success.

"Korean creators have become masters at moving people's hearts without big and flashy spectacles," said Young-hun Choi, director of K-drama "One the Woman." "The iron rule of Korean dramas is that ... you need to be able to empathize with the characters."

This is in line with Korean