'Twenty Five, Twenty One' to Our Blues: 9 Inspiring Female Characters From Latest Kdramas

Korean dramas have revolutionised the entertainment industry. There are several factors behind why some of the top K-dramas have attracted devoted viewers and fans from around the world, including intriguing narratives, fascinating stories, and distinctive genres. From the latest Korean drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Twenty Five, Twenty One to Our Blues, here's the list of strong, iconic, inspiring and refreshing female lead characters in Korean dramas.

K-dramas are known for their melodramatic and romantic comedies, but they also feature strong and inspiring female characters who can keep their lives together without giving up. There are leads with eyes that might kill, making even an adult tremble.

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing strong, accomplished women and striving to emulate them. Besides, with dramas that are filled with passion and compelling stories, who needs a male lead as long as we have these female leads to look up to?

Female Characters in Kdramas

We've compiled some of the best female characters from the latest Korean dramas.

1. Na Hee-do: Twenty Five, Twenty One 

Kim Tae-ri has once again proven her exceptional acting skills through countless dramas which have left the audience in awe. The actor won the Best Actress Award at the 58th Baeksang Art Awards for this character. 

Na Hee do is a beautifully written character and probably one of the few characters in the Kdrama world, who is admired for her hard work and success. The show is set during the IMF crisis which leads to Hee do’s school fencing club being closed off due to insufficient funds. This becomes a changing point in her life where the character shows impeccable dedication and love towards fencing. 

Na Hee do is not only a hardworking sports prodigy but she is a loveable, honest, free-spirited and energetic high school student. She is an inspiration for today’s youth as she is one of those characters who are not affected by others’ opinions and strived for her dreams.

2. Yoon Sae-bom: Happiness

Han Hyo Joo as Yoon Sae-bom in 'Happiness'. Credits: tvN

One of the most talked-about Kdrama in 2022 among fans is Happiness, starring Park Hyung-sik and Han Hyo-joo. The show revolves around a failed pharmaceutical drug that turns people into blood-thirsty monsters. Numerous fans would agree that it was Han’s character Yoon Sae-bom that stole the show. She is a member of a special police squad. She is decisive, determined and does not get rattled easily.

3. Hong Cha-young: Vincenzo

Jeon Yeo-been as Hong Cha-young in 'Vincenzo'. Credits: tvN/Netflix

TvN’s and Netflix’s 2021 biggest hit Kdrama, Vincenzo may have been best known because of the Italian mafia consigliere Vincenzo Cassano played by Song Joon-ki, but you cannot ignore the strong female lead played by Jeon Yeo-been by his side throughout the drama.

The most admirable thing about Hong Cha-young is how she transformed from a pious attorney who mostly provides pro bono legal services to the underprivileged to one who loved money and fame.

Her father's passing may have contributed to her decision in some way, but it is inspirational to see how her character has grown to take on a corporation that is evicting residents from their homes and places of business. Cha-young is also not hesitant to take some risks to protect the people she cares about and loves, even if it puts her safety in jeopardy.

4. Woo Young-woo: Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Park Eun-bin as Woo Young-woo in 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo'. Credits: ENA/Netflix

Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin) is a 27-year-old rookie attorney with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who works at a large law firm. She has a high IQ of 164, outstanding memory, and a creative way of thinking, however, she has low emotional intelligence and poor social skills.

Despite being a genius, Woo Young-woo is often judged by her superiors, clients, and colleagues at her new company. However, she was able to prove them wrong and prove her abilities. Despite her differences, she demonstrates that she is competent enough to have a career in law.

5. Goo Ryeon: Tomorrow

Kim Hee-seon as Goo Ryeon in 'Tomorrow'. Credits: MBC/Netflix

One most talked about K-dramas of 2022 from Netflix is Tomorrow. The fantasy K-drama is based on an original webtoon surrounding the afterlife. When Choi Ju-woong (Rowoon) accidentally falls into the river, Goo Ryeon (Kim Hee-seon) and her partners offer him a deal. He becomes a temporary grim reaper and helps the crisis management team save lives.

A major reason for the show's success was its great cast and the leading female character, Goo Ryeon. As they learned more about the character's terrible and dark past, fans become attracted to her. She formerly had a romantic relationship, but because of the conditions of her era, she now confronts a bleak future. Speculations abounded that Park Joon-gil, the grim reaper, Goo Ryeon's boyfriend, was the one who despised her the most (Lee Soo-hyuk).

As the K-drama developed, viewers watched Goo Ryeon's resiliency and strength as she faced her past, protected those closest to her, and saved lives.

6. Shim Eun-seok: Juvenile Justice

Kim Hye-soo as Shim Eun-seok in 'Juvenile Justice'.

Credits: Netflix

Juvenile Justice, a 10-part judicial drama, is one of Kim Hye-soo's first original Netflix series. She is one of Korea's most popular screen icons. The show involves the storyline about a tough judge who balances her aversion to minor offenders with firm beliefs in justice and punishment as she tackles complex cases inside a juvenile court.

Judge Sim Eun-seok is a tenacious legal force who will do all it takes to uncover the truth and administer her own stern interpretation of the law. She is the type of judge who conducts witness interviews outside of courtroom settings on public streets. She is also the kind of judge who will pursue youths running from the law even after being run over by a car.

7. Min Seon-ah, Jeong Eun-hee and Lee Young-ok: Our Blues

The lives and relationships of seven central individuals are followed in the anthology-style television series Our Blues. Each character in Our Blues works and resides on Jeju Island, a popular tourist destination in South Korea. This slice-of-life shows the ups and downs of life and love as the K-drama explores the stories of each resident of Jeju. It is a show which also portrays strong independent women in different shades.

Shin Min-a as Min Seon-ah in 'Our Blues'. Credits: tvN/Netflix

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Min Seon-ah (Shin Min-a) is a divorced woman living in Seoul, who lost her child's custody due to her depression. But she is ready to fight for her child's custody and for that she goes for treatment, starts working again and gives herself a chance to live a happy life on Jeju Island. The driving force for her having a better life is her motherhood.

Lee Jung-eun as Jeong Eun-hee in 'Our Blues'.

Credits: tvN/Netflix

Jeong Eun-hee played by Lee Jung-eun best known for her role as a housekeeper in the Oscar-winning movie, Parasite, is a single woman in her late 40s who runs her own fish business on the island. She has a sense of leadership in the community as she started earning from a very young age to support her family and now her siblings.

Han Ji-min as Lee Young-ok in 'Our Blues'.

Credits: tvN/Netflix

Lee Young-ok (Han Ji-min), who moved to the island and has been haenyeo (female diver that harvests sea life for a living) for the past year. She lost her parents at a young age and has been providing for her twin sister Young-hee who has Down Syndrome.