Korean dramas are well known for their swoony plots. The male lead is the knight in shining armour who comes along and saves the female lead from every possible demon. However, it’s not the case for many progressive K-dramas. Some female leads can hold onto their own and exude significant ‘main character’ energy. They won’t let anyone control their life and will even get down to power-packed action if required.
In the world of content, nothing is more liberating than watching strong and inspiring female leads take on the world. These protagonists not only have control of their own life but are also capable of fighting their way when things turn ugly. Here’s a list of the best K-dramas that bring you strong and inspiring female leads who defy the odds and pave their way.
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Queenmaker is one of the most iconic K-dramas of 2023. It is a political drama starring Kim Hee-ae as ‘Hwang Do-hee’, a ‘fixer’, who is determined to bring down her ex-employer from power (after a tragic accident) and establish righteous lawyer, ‘Oh Kyung-Sook’ as the mayor of Seoul. On the other hand, there is Moon So-ri as ‘Oh Kyung-sook', a human rights lawyer, called a ‘rhino of justice’ for her righteous and justice-driven attitude. ‘Oh Kyung-sook’ initially had no interest in becoming the mayor of Seoul but ‘Hwang Do-hee’ convinces her through her crooked ways. Both women are opposite in terms of their working mechanisms and opinions but ultimately want the same results.
Link: Eat, Love, Kill revolves around 'Eun Gye-hoon' and 'Noh Da-hyun'. The main plot of the drama starts when 'Eun Gye-hoon' starts to feel every emotion of 'Noh Da-hyun'. This emotional connect was the last experience by 'Da-Hyun' with his long-lost twin sister. ‘Noh Da-hyun’ is played by Moon Ga-young, who was last seen in True Beauty. 'Noh Da-hyun' is a powerful character who doesn’t hesitate to take her stand to achieve her dreams. She even goes against her mother to take control of her own life and avoid interfering with 'Da-hyun’s life decisions.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo brought about evolution since its release in 2022, so much so that netizens demanded a US adaptation of the K-drama. Extraordinary Attorney Woo revolves around ‘Woo Young’, a young lawyer, with Asperger's Syndrome. She is very ambitious and doesn’t let her disorder come in her way to success. Her peers ridicule 'Woo,' and social biases continuously challenge her. However, beating all the odds out of her way, she rises her rank in the prestigious law firm. Her only goal is to win her client’s cases and excel in her profession.
This is one of the most underrated gems of a K-drama. Released in 2018, Mother features Kang Doo-Jin as ‘Lee Bo-Young’. The female protagonist is an elementary school teacher, who notices something is wrong with one of her student, ‘Kim Hyena’. She further investigates the issue and finds that the girl is being abused in her house. Determined to save 'Kim' from further abuse, 'Lee Bo' kidnaps the girl and elopes. ‘Lee Bo’ goes to extreme lengths to save ‘Kim’ even if her action is against the law.
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Sisyphus: The Myth took Netflix by storm upon its release in 2020. The drama entails the return of actress, Park Shin-Hye after her break. Park Shin-Hye play the role of ‘Kang Seo-Hae,’ a young woman tasked to time travel in the past and stop a genius engineer from causing mass destruction. 'Kang Seo Hae' is a compelling and headstrong protagonist who faces all the challenges sent her way. The drama is action-packed and very adventurous.
WWW drama follows the story of three very successful ladies who work for competing companies yet hold a camaraderie of their own. All the ladies are high-ranked officials in their respective companies and are major boss ladies. Yet there is no backstabbing and competition amidst their friendship. The drama features three friends, 'Bae Ta Mi', 'Cha Hyeon' and 'Song Ga Kyung,' played by Im Soo Jung, Lee Da Hee and Jeon Hye Jin respectively. The trio stick by each other through thick and thin and even guide one another in their professional and personal challenges. This drama breaks many stereotypes of female animosity and even depicts women as powerful executives.
The opening fight scene of the K-drama, The Doctors, is undoubtedly one of the most iconic openings ever. Here the female doctor, ‘Yoo Hye-jung’ played by Park Sin Hye, beats up the goons who cause chaos in the hospital. After beating them to a pulp, she treats them. 'Yoo Hye Jung' was a delinquent in her school, who had quite a rough upbringing. From being a school delinquent to a doctor, is one of her most remarkable journeys. 'Yoo Hye' is bold and does not allow anyone to treat her wrong. She is a compassionate doctor, and one of the toughest leads K-dramas has ever seen.
Who hasn’t heard about Pinocchio, the character whose nose grows long when he lies? Here the female lead ‘Choi In-ha’ played by Park Sin Hye, hiccups whenever she lies. 'Choi In-ha' aspires to be a journalist, like her role model 'Song Cha-ok', who she doesn’t know is her mother. ‘Choi’ doesn’t get a job as a journalist, for her inability to lie. However, things improve when her Pinocchio-syndrome gains the limelight and 'Song Cha-ok' uses her to gain credibility for her channel. The most headstrong character in the drama is 'Song Cha', who is cutthroat, brutal and knows how to get her way. However, in the end, when she learns that ‘Choi’ is her daughter, the audience gets to see how she sacrifices her profession to save her child.
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My Name is not a K-drama for faint-hearted people. 'Yoon Ji-woo', played by actress Han So-hee is the witness to her father’s murder. From there onwards, she embarks on her life journey alone. First, she fights her way (quite literally) to prove her worth in a drug ring. Subsequently, she joins police forces to avenge her father's death. She changes her identity to trace her father’s murderers and doesn’t escape the danger as they attack her. Instead, she fights them face-on.
Little Woman starts with a cinnamon roll like of a female lead, 'Oh In-joo', who, by the end of the drama, can kill the ones who try to mess with her family. 'Oh In-joo', played by Kim Go-Eun, is thrown into a world of hardships and debts by her father. Being the elder sister, she takes it upon herself to provide for her sisters as well as fulfil her dreams. The middle sister, 'Oh In-Kyung', played by Nam Ji-Hyun, is also a firecracker who is the flag bearer of justice and has a fiery spirit. The sisters got each other’s back and are efficient in facing challenges head-on in the drama.
If you are in the mood for a roller-coaster ride of feminine energy, don’t miss out on these K-dramas. Happy Bingeing!
Next Read: K-Dramas With An Enemies-To-Lovers Trope That Will Keep You Hooked Over The Weekend
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