Most people assume that fans of Korean dramas watch only for the hunky, chiselled male leads. While that’s somewhat true, it definitely isn’t the only reason.
Nothing is more inspiring than watching other successful, strong women. And with these great dramas that drive home a heartfelt, thrilling storyline, who needs a male actor to catch out attention when these leading ladies deserve our admiration?
We’ve compiled some of the best female leads from the latest Korean dramas for you to binge on at home.
In episode four, Noh Da-hyun (Moon Ga-young) gets berated by her mother who hopes for her to become a grade five civil servant. This leads to an argument between the two and Da-hyun breaking down.
Da-hyun says firmly through her tears: “I wasn’t born to make you proud, Mom. I wasn’t born for dreams you weren’t able to achieve. I’m so sorry, I want to live my life however I want to whether it’s good or bad.
“I want to make decisions for myself and be responsible for my actions.”
Seeing Da-hyun stay true to herself and fight for control of her future reminds us that we should stand up to societal pressures and the path other people set for us, or to put it simply, be the main character of our lives.
Yoo Jung (Kang Han-na) is abducted by the evil mastermind Gye-won (Jang Hyuk), who wants to disguise her as his niece in hopes that she’ll marry the king and he can gain even more power within the palace.
He threatens her with the lives of her family, and even in such a terrifying situation, Yoo Jung remains unshaken and composed. She also comes up with an elaborate plan to get out of Gye-won’s clutches safely without putting her loved ones at risk.
She stands up to Gye-won with a straight face and tells him to “let me go”. If that doesn’t scream ‘main character energy’, then what does?
And it’s not her first brush with death either.
When she was young, Yoo Jung witnessed her parents being unfairly executed and was close to death herself until she was saved by Lee Tae (Lee Joon). When she refuses to back down despite facing death a second time, it’s clear she’s not wasting her second chance at life.
Perhaps going through a near-death experience was part of it, but having Yoo Jung’s bravery, strength and determination to fight and treasure a second chance is indeed something we all need a little bit of.
In this sports drama, lead character Park Tae-yang (Park Ju-hyun) struggles and punishes herself for an accident that happened to her ex-friend Jun-young three years ago.
The accident occurred when Tae-yang dragged Jun-young out for drinks and a snowboarding trip but the latter got injured during the secret outing. It ruined Jun-young’s badminton career and she covered up the truth by telling everyone that she hurt herself during training.
Tae-yang faced no consequences, save for the years of gut-wrenching guilt that haunted her.
In episode 11, Tae-yang finally decides to come clean and reveal the truth despite being on the rise to becoming a badminton star, saying she is unafraid of people tearing her apart and that she wants to be honest.
Seeing Taeyang muster up the courage to do the right thing was inspiring because we all know how hard it can be to admit to our wrongdoings. Hey, main characters make mistakes too, but what matters most is owning it and what we do after to make amends.
What would you do if your brother died and your fiance admitted to killing him?
Doctor Lawyer’s female protagonist Geum Seok-yeong (Im Soo-hyang), a prosecutor, is caught in an impossible situation when her fiance Han Yi-han admits to killing her brother due to medical malpractice.
Unknown to her, Yi-han was threatened by the head of the hospital because the latter is just trying to hide a lot of dirty little secrets — as most drama villains are wont to do.
Seok-yeong confronts Yi-han but he keeps up the lie and breaks up with her. Angry and upset, she turns her rage into her motivation to (legally) punish negligent doctors.
Most who have suffered crippling losses like our leading lady might give up (and it’s justified), but she doesn’t. Faced with the injustices of life, Seok-yeong chooses not to surrender to that which she cannot control and instead hones in on what she can do as a prosecutor.
She showed us that we too can harness our strong emotions and use that to push ourselves forward and be the change you want to see in this world.
Our heroine, Hong Ye-seul (Seo Ji-hye), is a project manager of an advertising agency who tends to be a pushover. She also often seeks the approval of her boss, Cha Min-hoo (Yoon Kye-sang), and frequently makes her decisions based on his responses.
When Ye-seul takes charge of a campaign for a bedding company and proposes ideas to her bosses, her lack of confidence shows when she is constantly prepared to be rejected.
In episode two, after Ye-sul finishes setting up a pop-up store to promote their campaign, Min-hoo questions why she didn’t present an idea like that earlier to him.
He later offers some enlightening advice — that it is better to make one good plan instead of coming up with many proposals — before subtly complimenting her work. After this scene, Ye-seul is empowered and resolves to show her work in a better light in the face of her superiors.
While the male lead is the catalyst for change, our leading lady teaches us that it is okay to accept compliments and learn how to become the star of your own life. At the end of the day, people are more likely to be convinced that you’re capable if you own your power.
(Additional reporting: Syarifah Nadhirah, Aisha Hassan from Asiaone)
Hong Cha-young played by actress Jeon Yeo-been in the hit Korean drama Vincenzo works as a lawyer at a firm favoured by many rich but morally dubious clients. In the first few episodes, Cha-Young is seen taking a different path from her father, who also happens to be a lawyer, as she had no intention of working for low-rent clients, no matter how worthy the cause. Her father, on the other hand, battled on behalf of the poor. As a person who cares more about practicality than virtue, Cha-Young has a competitive spirit, and does an amazing job as a lawyer in court than everyone else, despite having her flaws.
One other noteworthy point when it comes to her character is that she has been spotted in an array of ultra-polished ensembles with the trendiest accessories to boot, emphasising her strong character as a female lead.
Cha Yu Ri (Kim Tae Hee) has been lingering on Earth after her death and has been watching over her husband and daughter. After throwing a tantrum and cursing out a deity, Yu Ri is granted a shot at her old life to be human again. In order to stay human, she has 49 days to make her life as it was before she died. Problem is, it’s been five years and her husband has already remarried.
Yu Ri shows us that there are no limits to love and her strength throughout each episode is not only inspiring but just might make you curl into a bawl and sob. In a good way.
Coming from the writers of the iconic dramas like the Reply Series and the Prison Playbook, Hospital Playlist is yet another heartfelt drama that breaks the stereotypes of Korean dramas.
Chae Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do) is an associate professor of neurosurgery and the only woman of the group of five. She’s the best at her job, runs the neurosurgery department, intelligent and empathetic.
Song-hwa is a refreshing character that shows a woman can devote herself to her job, be successful and still have her own personal life. Inspiring, motivating and kinda makes you wish you were her. Forget the four handsome male leads, Hospital Playlist is a must-watch with her in it.
Besides her impeccable fashion sense that we’ve seen here and here, Yoon Se-ri is also known for her fearless and cut-throat personality in the hit series Crash Landing On You.
This comes from her background as an heiress and a successful businesswoman, as well as her own personal troubles.
Being the illegitimate daughter of the Yoon family, she grew up feeling rather lonely and almost outcast within her own family. Her stepmother abandoned her at a beach, her brothers never really felt she was the rightful heir to their family’s business. All that loneliness caused her to struggle with thoughts of suicide, which she overcame.
Despite her harsh realities, she grew fiercely independent, resilient, and went on to build her own business empire and brand. It was probably this resilience that she had that made her a survivor even when she crash landed in North Korea only to face even more life-threatening dangers. Her will to survive and beat the odds was truly inspiring.
Three leading women working in competing successful web companies, and all in high positions. You’d assume that the drama would be filled with sabotage, blackmailing and backstabbing.
Well, forget the stereotypes, leading women Bae Ta Mi (Im Soo Jung), Cha Hyeon (Lee Da Hee), and Song Ga Kyung (Jeon Hye Jin) empower each other in work and even relationships.
You’ll find no drama tropes of successful women but rather, heartwarming friendship and meaningful relationships.
By day Sung Deok-Mi (Park Min-Young) works as a curator at an art gallery, she’s exceptional at her job and the epitome of professionalism. By night, she’s a hardcore fan whose world revolves around her idol, Cha Shi An. She even runs the fan website.
For years, the typical stereotypes of fangirls are always mainly degrading or demeaning. Sung Deok-Mi sets the precedence that you can be more than just the typical label and that there’s nothing wrong with what one likes. She has a successful career and is a woman not to be trifled with.
Talk about strong women leads!
One of the most highly-rated historical dramas, most overlook the strong women lead that is unlike any other.
Go Ae-Shin (Kim Tae-Ri) is a double-edged sword. She’s the daughter of an aristocrat, living in the high world full of social hierarchy. Yet she’s also a deadly resistance fighter that works for a cause she fiercely believes in.
Willing to put her life on the line for her country, this woman fights for her beliefs to the very end and shows that whatever a man can do, she can do it better.
If you’ve watched Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon, you’d know that Bong-soon takes smashing stereotypes to a whole new level with her defining personality and physical ability.
This down-to-earth female lead has superhuman strength despite being on the petite side, and her heart is no let-down either with her determination and lack of hesitation when it comes to defending others.
Not much has to be said to grasp the personality behind a woman (a teacher, at that) who kidnaps a child who’s being abused at home.
Her protective nature seems to be fuelled by impulse at first, but later she shows to be very mindful and motherly as she assesses and navigates the risky situation around her.
We love a good character in relentless pursuit of their dreams. Though born of a ‘third-rate life’, Ae-ra lives to the title of the show Fight For My Way by remaining righteous, self-sufficient and ambitious about becoming an announcer.
She is considered a good role model for the audience as a character who stays true to herself, refusing to be dampened by the words and actions of others while staying spirited, strong and sassy.
This one features not just one, but three female protagonists from different walks of life, who form a revenge club of sorts. The unlikely trio form a deep bond despite their different personalities, and it’s certainly refreshing to witness the strengths of each character grown from their individual difficulties, and how they come together to form a support system and dynamic friendship with each other.
We love to see #WomenSupportingWomen!
The female lead of Descendants Of The Sun has shaped a huge part of the show’s success, as one of the biggest K-dramas to hit the small screen in 2016. As a cardiothoracic surgeon within warzone, Mo-yeon’s headstrong character is not only complemented by her sheer intellect and beauty, but also her clear distinction between heart and mind and her humility.
Her willingness to admit mistakes makes her a likeable and admirable character, especially when you take into account how incredibly human she is thanks to Song Hye-kyo’s superb acting skills.
It’s hard to fathom how one can cope with being in someone else’s body, much less the body of a royal princess during historic times. All with the painful memory of her previous life in mind, Hae Soo has come face to face with a myriad of challenges, such as adapting as a person of the 21st century in 941 and pleading for the justice of others.
How she takes everything in her stride while maintaining her faith, sincerity and kindness to others shows just how strong she is, both emotionally and mentally.
Transformed from a high school delinquent into a successful neurosurgeon, Yoo Hye-jung’s got quite the brain and the brawn to be one of the toughest female leads we’ve seen.
Perhaps it’s her backstory of having a difficult childhood that makes it even more remarkable when she shows how much compassion she is still capable of – while staying absolutely kick-ass.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo is another K-drama that nails the concept of an extremely physically strong woman. As a talented weightlifter, Bok-joo struggles with her “lack of femininity” but learns to overcome her esteem issues and love herself.
Through all of this, she never falters in showing her true self as an awkward but outgoing and loveable character.
The heart-wrenching premise of Second 20s follows Ha No-ra – a 38-year-old woman who gave up being a dancer at 19 after she was pregnant – now close to divorce and diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
To make the most out of what’s left of her life, she takes charge of herself again and attends college. This emotional journey really reflects No-ra’s personality as an empowering female lead who once sacrificed her life to responsibilities as a mother and housewife.
A version of this article first appeared in Singapore Women’s Weekly and Asiaone.