Cover Photo: tvN

Damsel in distress no more. These Korean drama protagonists prove they are in control. All is fair in love and war, after all

Korean dramas are still abuzz all over the world owing to unfathomable plots, over-the-top set design and exceptional casting. And as dozens of new shows are released through streaming platforms month after month, K-drama creators are becoming increasingly progressive, veering away from cliché themes by producing more stories that break society and gender norms. There has been an obvious shift in focus from the typical Cinderella-like storylines to shows that highlight strong, independent women who clearly know what they want—a far cry from the usual damsel-in-distress who needs constant saving by Prince Charming or a knight in shining armour. Take a look at our round-up of K-drama female protagonists who are not afraid to make the first move.  

Read also: Honest K-Drama Review: The Best and Worst Dramas of 2021

Woo Young-woo played by Park Eun-bin | "Extraordinary Attorney Woo"

Do not underestimate Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin), the genius lawyer with autism spectrum disorder from the latest hit legal drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Headstrong and intelligent (by that, we mean an IQ of 164, graduating as the top student in Seoul National University and getting an almost perfect score in the bar exams), she thinks creatively and clearly knows what she wants and what she can do. She speaks her mind freely with #nofilter, so asking her co-worker Lee Jun-ho (Kang Tae Oh) if he likes her—not once but twice—was easy-peasy. But who says she is a damsel in distress? With her heart of gold and emotional maturity, it is not hard to love her back. 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo sets a record with a ten times increase in ratings from its pilot episode—an all-time high for the cable network, ENA. It owes its popularity to its respectful and refreshing depiction of someone with a developmental disability—something that has been lauded by viewers all over the world, making it the most viewed non-English show on Netflix in July 2022. A US remake is also reportedly under negotiation. 

Read also: 6 Rowoon Shows to Stream Now, His Advice on Dealing With Failure, and Why We Should Live Life to the Fullest

Lee La-el played by Seo Yea-ji | "Eve"

South Korean actress Seo Ye-ji is back with a vengeance with her daring role as Lee La-el in the recently concluded drama Eve. While she seduced LY group chairman Kang Yoon-gyeom (Park Byung-eun) in order to take revenge against the chaebol family who killed her parents, she unexpectedly fell in love with him, making the execution of her plans more complicated. In the end, the strong-willed tango dancer got torn between her feelings for Yoon-gyeom and her desire to get justice for her parents.  

This is not the first time Seo Ye-ji played the role of an aggressive female lead who makes the first move. In 2020, she played the role of Ko Moon-young in It's Okay to Not Be Okay, a beautiful children’s book author who develops a romantic obsession with Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun) to the point that she would do whatever it takes to get his attention. 

Read also: 9 Kim Soo-hyun Shows To Watch

Jo Yi-se played by Kim Da-mi | "Itaewon Class"

Despite being turned down numerous times by Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon), Itaewon Class’ multi-hyphenate female protagonist Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi) remains by his side and helps him run Danbam restaurant despite the odds. From standing in the way between Sae-ro-yi and his first love Oh Soo-a (Kwon Nara) to being the first to confess her feelings, Yi-seo proves that really, no guts, no glory. 

Read also: Park Seo-joon on Playing Lee Young-jun, His Dog Simba, and Being an Action Star

 

Oh Soo-jae played by Seo Hyun-jin | "Why Her?"

In Viu's original series Why Her?, TK Law Firm's superstar lawyer Oh Soo-jae spent her life focusing on only one thing: success. But despite her drive to win cases in the courtroom, there is one special case that she would like to succeed in, and that is to find true love to fill her empty life. Then she meets Gong Chan (Hwang In-youp), a student at Seojung University law school, where she teaches. Drawn by his warmth and wit, and without realising that they have already met each other in the past, she gets entwined with him romantically, with her initiating the first kiss. Well, no objection, your honour! 

Read also: 10 K-Drama Second Leads We Still Root For

 

Na Hee-do played by Kim Tae-ri | "Twenty Five Twenty One"

In Twenty Five, Twenty One, young and innocent fencer Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) meets diligent sports reporter Baek Yi-jin who's in the process of rebuilding his life following family financial problems. The two become good friends and enjoy each other’s company until Hee-do realises she likes him more than as a friend—a confession she made to Yi-jin in episode 9, which Yi-jin confirmed in a beautiful closing scene on a bridge while watching the rainbow. 

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