Cover You have to admit: mothers-in-law always add more colour and comedy to Korean dramas. (Photo: IMDB)
You have to admit: mothers-in-law always add more colour and comedy to Korean dramas. (Photo: IMDB)
1 / 1
The mothers-in-law we love come bearing kimchi soup and lots of warmth
If there’s one recurring character who can make or break a K-drama household (and plot), it’s the mother-in-law. In K-dramas, she’s become more than just a supporting character, she’s a full-blown archetype. From the frosty chaebol matriarch to the chaotic meddler, Korean dramas have turned the mother-in-law into a dramatic device all her own. Sometimes she’s comic relief, sometimes she’s the villain and once in a while, she’s the unexpected heart of the story.
Whether she’s wielding kimchi as a passive-aggressive peace offering or plotting matchmaking schemes with military precision, the K-drama mother-in-law continues to evolve. And lucky for us, she's never boring.
Here are some of the most memorable mothers-in-law in K-dramas to grace our screens.
Also read: Architects of Korean shows: 11 K-drama screenwriters whose works never miss
1. Jeon Bong-ae – ‘Queen of Tears’ (2024)
Above ‘Queen of Tears’ (Photo: tvN)
‘Queen of Tears’ (Photo: tvN)
1 / 1
There are too many manipulative mothers in Queen of Tears, but Jeon Bong-ae (Hwang Young-hee), the mom of Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), is probably the most reasonable of all the characters in her generation. Not only does she treat Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) like her own daughter, but she also tries to protect her son’s relationship and does her best to be amicable to her unscrupulous in-laws. Despite the latter’s frosty attitudes, she welcomed them into her home, no questions asked.
2. Ae Sun – ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ (2025)
Ae Sun (IU, Moon So-ri) is determined, ambitious and loving—traits she wants to pass on to her daughter Yang Geum-myeong (also IU). So when she sees Yang Geum-myeong being demeaned by her potential mother-in-law, Ae Sun defends her in her quiet, resilient way. For instance, when Yang Geum-myeong was criticised for not knowing how to ladle soup, Ae Sun points out that she purposely didn’t teach these domestic tasks to her daughter because she was too precious to their family, and because she wanted more for her child than to be confined at home.
That said, when Ae Sun finally met a man who was worthy of her daughter, she was warm and welcoming.
See more: 5 life lessons from ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’
3. Cha Yeon-hwa – ‘Perfect Marriage Revenge’ (2023)
Above ‘Perfect Marriage Revenge’ (Photo: IMDB)
‘Perfect Marriage Revenge’ (Photo: IMDB)
1 / 1
Lee Mi-sook might have been a conniving con artist in Queen of Tears, but she was exactly the opposite in Perfect Marriage Revenge, where she was Seo Do-guk’s (Sung Hoon) stepmother. She gives all stepmothers and mothers-in-law a good name, in fact. She sees through other people’s fake niceness, doesn’t hesitate to call out abusive behaviour and gives her daughter-in-law the love and acceptance that she’s often craved.
See more: Love contracts: 8 fake relationships in K-dramas that had us invested
4. Hwang Jin-yi – ‘Strong Girl Bong-soon’ (2017)
Above ‘Strong Girl Bong-soon’ (Photo: JTBC)
‘Strong Girl Bong-soon’ (Photo: JTBC)
1 / 1
You’d think a mother with a superpowered daughter would give you a hard time, but not Hwang Jin-yi (Shim Hye-jin). Like many mothers-in-law, she’s not perfect, though she often acts like she is. Similar to the rest of the women in her family, she’s strong and stubborn, plays favourites and can be controlling at times. However, she does have a warm and loving relationship with her son-in-law (Park Hyung-sik), whom she pampers with food.
5. Madame Choice – ‘What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?’ (2018)
Above ‘What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?’ (Photo: tvN)
‘What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?’ (Photo: tvN)
1 / 1
Here’s another mom who’s far from perfect. After all, what kind of parent would hide their son’s traumatic childhood kidnapping and go along with a fake story? That said, Madame Choi (Kim Hye-ok) was only trying to do what she thought was best for everyone. She loves her son’s eventual love interest, Secretary Kim (Park Min-young), and understands her significance in her son’s (Park Seo-joon) life. We also appreciate mothers-in-law who take their daughters-in-law shopping.
Topics
