K-Dramas that Reverse Archetypical Gender Representations

According to a common school of thought, a girl is expected to be “feminine,” “naive” and “weak,” traits of the so-called “desirable woman.” I imagine that occasionally a strong female character is deliberately made to look incompetent or helpless (in particular situations), possibly to allow a male character to step in and save the day. An assertive badass woman? Not very alluring. While some K-dramas commonly portray these kinds of gender prejudices and preconceptions, there is a clear break from the gender standards that many other K-dramas have been promoting by opposing the traditional ideas of femininity. Coffee Prince, for example, was a major hit in 2007. It showed the strength of an atypical heroine, setting a new standard by questioning gender expectations. It sharply demonstrated a woman’s power while tackling social concerns in Korea. By flipping conventional gender roles, the female protagonist’s unique portrayal as a tomboy, in contrast to many K-dramas where the plot revolves around a feminine makeover to attract attention, contributed to its appeal.

Go Eun-chan (Yoon Eun-hye), the heroine in Coffee Prince, is a martial arts expert and the family’s primary provider. She is unapologetic about her appearance or circumstances. Till the very end of the drama, Eun-chan chooses to wear baggy clothes and short hair and despite difficulties, never gives up on her dreams. I admire her fortitude since, at one point in the drama, she declines to wed Choi Han-kyul (Gong Yoo) before pursuing her career while also insisting on repaying her loan to him with interest even though they are dating. The best part? Han-kyul loves her for who she is and never coerces her into changing anything.

In a sexist society, many K-dramas feature strong women who defy stigmas, aggression, and traditional family structures. One such distinct woman who goes beyond the conventional depiction of a gentle gender identity is Kang Soo-jin (Lee Bo-young), from the 2018 drama Mother. Soo-jin is depicted as a high-school teacher who abducts a student to keep her safe from domestic abuse. While rescuing her, she also rescues herself in the story, notwithstanding a myriad of challenges along the way. I like how the series addresses the image of a tough woman who, despite having no biological connection to a child, overcomes all obstacles to keep the child safe – becoming the “mother” eventually. Soo-jin provides a role model; she is humane, fair, compassionate, and potent – the true embodiment of a real hero.

Women’s ambition for authority at work and the usual notion of prioritizing family responsibilities are often at odds. The dichotomy between the conventional and contemporary ideals of women is reflected in some K-dramas’ portrayal of professional women by conveying both opposing and prevailing discourses. Jung Geum-ja (Kim Hye-soo), the slick lawyer in the legal K-drama Hyena (2020), plays hardball and walks a fine line between right and wrong and the law in pursuing material gain no matter what it takes. Her biggest opponent is Yoon Hee-jae (Ju Ji-hoon), a seasoned attorney with a keen mind, but he lacks Jung’s courage and is frequently outsmarted by her.

Geum-ja is ruthless, independent, ambitious, and burning with the drive to succeed. She is also deceptive and skilled in her line of work. She is impressive in that she never backs down from achieving her goals, not even by utilizing the man who is her professional rival for her own pleasure. Her amazing grit in attempting to make things work is admirable. She is one of the most resilient characters I’ve seen in a K-drama, and while her antics are sometimes condemned, I feel good about a woman like that – solid in her abilities, and never ashamed about what she accomplishes in a male-dominated culture.

Masculinity has frequently been emphasized in dramas and films, dismissing any erosion of gender barriers. A piece on gender and the action heroine by author Jeffrey A. Brown asserts that, as opposed to men, women in 1980s action movies were merely meant to be saved as proof of the hero’s prowess. Even so, as the genre evolved over time, action heroines made a more prominent appearance, and I reckon K-dramas followed suit in that regard. For example, Secret Garden (2010), Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016), Strong Girl Do Bong-soon (2017), Happiness (2021), and Sisyphus: The Myth (2021) are just a few of the many works that include heroic female characters capable of defending themselves and slaying enemies.

The advent of the power girl, who can push the boundaries and take on challenges with ease, may be attributed to increasing recognition of unconventional roles for women and awareness of the polarizing nature of female attributes. Think of Yoon Ji-woo (Han So-hee) from My Name (2021). To track down her father’s murderer, she teams up with a crime lord and the cops to exact revenge. Her loss and heartbreak are palpable because of the emotional upheavals she goes through before and after her father’s death. She is, nevertheless, the fighter, shamed and mistreated, yet she rises from the ashes like a phoenix. Ji-woo’s confrontations with the evildoers are harrowing, yet she crushes them to dust like a warrior queen.

The New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson’s historical romance, A Viscount’s Proposal, contains a passage that reads one of the protagonist Leorah Langdon’s quotes that I found very inspiring. She says,“I’m proud of my carefree behavior…I am boisterous when I choose to be, and simply because I don’t behave like a wan and fainting female who has not a thought in her head except try to attract an eligible suitor… I shall not conform to how you or anyone else tells me I should behave. I am answerable only to God.” Leorah is intolerant of the shallow hypocrisy and pointless regulations of Regency society, especially when it comes to women. This takes us to the lovely Yeo Mi-ran (Kim Ok-vin) from the 2023 drama Love to Hate You who hates surrendering to men.

She fights for justice in a patriarchal culture by employing the techniques she learned in martial arts. We also witness a movie star, Nam Kang-ho (Teo Yoo), who has an unfavorable opinion of women (until they are forced to date each other, at least). I dig the drama’s treatment of the idea that being a badass and not minding what people think of you as a woman is totally fine, and that a woman like that may still look attractive in her own way, attractive enough to entice even the hottest star.

A conversation between Mi-ran and Kang-ho that features the latter expressing his dissatisfaction with Mi-ran for acting as a savior and suffering consequences is one of my favorites. He asks, “There were a lot of guys back there. Why did you, a woman, have to do that?” To which she answers, “A woman? Nam Kang-ho, if someone saves you from danger, are you really going to argue why a woman came to save you? If your life’s in danger and a woman comes to your rescue, are you going to say, ‘What’s the matter with you? You’re a woman.’ That’s how you sound. I mean, why would you care if it’s a man or woman if they helped to save your life?… The woman is weak and needs help, and the man swoops in to save her. Ugh, I hate that.” The exchange is a great example of how society still perceives women and their responsibilities in today’s world. Additionally, Mi-ran’s past and the fact that her sex life becomes a discussion point are a testament to Korean culture, which (like many other societies) wields conservative values in many other areas, especially the treatment of women. Kang-ho, though, is unquestionably a great guy who loves Mi-ran in every capacity. That sets an example.