Cover A look at K-dramas where the female lead is the CEO, navigating corporate challenges, relationships and personal growth (Photo: Love Scout/YouTube)
A look at K-dramas where the female lead is the CEO, navigating corporate challenges, relationships and personal growth (Photo: Love Scout/YouTube)
1 / 1
These K-dramas where the female lead is the CEO feature women running companies while managing personal challenges
Korean television has increasingly turned its focus to stories about women in charge, with a growing number of series falling into the category of K-dramas where the female lead is the CEO. In these shows, professional life is not a backdrop but part of the engine of the story, whether the lead is running a major corporation or building a business from the ground up. Watching women make decisions, manage risk, and hold authority on screen can be quietly empowering and, for many viewers, genuinely inspiring, particularly in genres where those roles have not always been foregrounded. The list below highlights K-dramas where the female lead is the CEO.
Read more: 5 prison-themed K-dramas to watch after 'The Price of Confession'
1. ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019–2020)
Above Yoon Se‑ri balances running a fashion empire with unexpected romance
Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) builds a global fashion and lifestyle business, Seri’s Choice, establishing herself as a prominent figure in South Korea’s retail industry. As a chaebol heiress and company leader, she is positioned to take on greater control of the family business before unforeseen events disrupt her trajectory. Her professional authority and corporate background continue to shape her decisions and identity throughout the series.
Now read: How Son Ye-jin masters red carpet glamour and everyday style, in celebration of her birthday
2. ‘Miss Lee’ (2019)
Above Lee Seon‑sim suddenly becomes CEO and learns the ropes of leadership
Employee Lee Seon-sim (Lee Hye-ri) is unexpectedly appointed CEO of a struggling electronics manufacturer. With little management experience, she is tasked with stabilising the company, improving workplace morale and addressing long-standing structural problems, while also adjusting to the personal pressures that come with sudden authority.
3. ‘Love Scout’ (2025)
Above Kang Ji‑yoon heads a headhunting firm while navigating love and work
Kang Ji‑yoon (Han Ji‑min) is the CEO of a competitive headhunting firm, Peoplez, driving company strategy and talent acquisition while balancing the demands of her career. When she hires Yoo Eun‑ho (Lee Jun‑hyuk), a capable and thoughtful secretary who is also a single father, their professional relationship deepens into a workplace romance that plays out against the backdrop of office life and personal growth.
4. ‘My Demon’ (2023)
Above Do Do‑hee leads her own company, steering both business and personal life
Do Do-hee (Kim You-jung) is the CEO of Mirae F&B, a major food conglomerate, appointed by the company’s powerful chairwoman who raised her. Her position places her at the centre of succession battles and internal rivalries, with her corporate authority shaping both the central conflict and her personal relationships.
5. ‘Dali and Cocky Prince’ (2021)
Above Kim Da‑li runs an art museum while handling unexpected romance
Kim Da-li (Park Gyu-young) serves as the director of the Cheong Song Art Museum, taking over its leadership following her father’s death. Tasked with preserving the institution’s reputation while managing financial strain and administrative challenges, she navigates museum governance alongside complex personal relationships that shape the series’ central conflicts.
6. ‘Start‑Up’ (2020)
Above Seo Dal‑mi builds her start-up from the ground up in a competitive tech world
Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) enters the competitive Sandbox start-up incubator with the goal of building a viable tech company from the ground up. Working alongside the founders of Samsan Tech, she takes on a leadership role focused on business development, investment strategy and company direction, with the pressures of entrepreneurship unfolding alongside her personal and professional relationships.
Don’t miss: 6 idol romance K-dramas where celebrities fall in love with common people
7. ‘Queenmaker’ (2023)
Above Hwang Do‑hee wields corporate strategy and influence in a high-stakes environment
Hwang Do‑hee (Kim Hee‑ae) heads a strategic planning office within a powerful conglomerate, where she advises top executives and orchestrates high-stakes business and political strategies. Though not formally a CEO, her influence over corporate decisions, mergers and executive appointments drives much of the series’ central conflict and shapes the outcomes of both boardroom and political manoeuvres.
8. ‘Hotel del Luna’ (2019)
Above Jang Man‑wol manages a supernatural hotel while keeping her past in check
Jang Man‑wol (IU) is the proprietor of Hotel del Luna, a supernatural hotel that caters exclusively to spirits. She manages the hotel’s daily operations, oversees staff and enforces rules with strict authority, all while contending with the burden of a centuries-old curse. Her role blends executive decision-making with personal history, making her leadership both professional and deeply intertwined with the narrative’s emotional stakes.
9. ‘Search: WWW’ (2019)
Above Bae Ta‑mi, Cha Hyeon and Song Ga‑kyung lead major web portals with authority
Bae Ta‑mi (Im Soo‑jung), Cha Hyeon (Lee Da‑hee) and Song Ga‑kyung (Jeon Hye‑jin) occupy senior leadership roles at major Internet portal companies. Although they are not formally CEOs, the series highlights their executive influence in shaping company strategy and workplace operations. Their stories still fit within the broader theme of K-dramas where the female lead is the CEO, illustrating how women in top management roles navigate power, responsibility and professional relationships even without the official title.
10. ‘Run On’ (2020)
Above Seo Dan‑ah heads a sports agency, showcasing women in executive roles
Seo Dan‑ah (Choi Soo‑young), a supporting character in Run On, runs her own sports agency, managing contracts, athlete development and business negotiations. While the primary female lead, Oh Mi‑joo (Shin Se‑kyung), works as a translator and is not a CEO, the series highlights the challenges of professional leadership, showing how Dan‑ah balances corporate responsibilities with personal relationships and the pressures of running a small business within an ensemble narrative.
11. ‘Encounter’ (2018–2019)
Above Cha Soo‑hyun runs a luxury hotel chain while exploring personal and romantic choices
Cha Soo‑hyun (Song Hye‑kyo) is the CEO of the Donghwa Hotel chain, overseeing operations, staff management and corporate strategy for the luxury brand. The series explores how she navigates the responsibilities of running a major business while confronting the emotional aftermath of divorce, forming new personal connections and balancing professional obligations with her private life.
These series demonstrate the range of stories found in K-dramas where the female lead is the CEO, from corporate intrigue and start-up challenges to workplace romance and personal growth. They highlight how professional authority shapes character development and plot, offering viewers both inspiration and insight into the complexities of women leading in business. Whether grounded in realism or blended with romance and drama, these titles showcase the increasing visibility and influence of women at the top.
Topics
Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
