Not only in Korean dramas, but most of the stories and films depict women as demure and innocent. These types of films help shape the way viewers think when it comes to a woman's personality and capabilities.
Fortunately, several films emphasize women's roles to defy social norms and empower women in today's day and age. A number of actresses have been examples of people who contribute to the empowerment of women, emphasizing that women are independent, strong, and capable!
Here are five Korean actresses who proved that social norms about women are not at all real.
1. Lee Da Hee
Actress Lee Da Hee is famous for having a very strong and fiery personality in the dramas "The Beauty Inside" and "Search:WWW." She used to believe that her strong character would lead her to her downfall because she grew up to see women characters in dramas to be innocent and soft. She said in an interview that she used to see the things that she considers now to be a strong aspect within herself - a flaw. Now, she works hard to do her part.
2. Park Shin Hye
Park Shin Hye seems to be an independent person and is the kind of person who works hard to achieve what she wants. In her role in drama "The Doctors," she played a strong character who's at par with gangsters twice her size when it comes to fighting. Her stunts were possible because of her hard work. The drama crew also mentioned that Park Shin Hye has a very strong aura, which makes you not want to mess with her.
3. Kim Hye Soo
Kim Hye Soo is an actress known for playing strong characters who viewers often see in action scenes, especially in hit dramas, like "Signal" and the film "Special Lady." The actress was also able to arrest G-Dragon in the TV show, "Infinite Challenge." She is also famous for playing her role in Netflix drama "Hyena," which emphasizes her resilient personality.
4. Krystal Jung
Famously known and dubbed as the "Ice Princess," it's not because she's cold, but she carries a toughness in her that shows how bold, blunt, yet genuine she is. In the drama "Player," she plays a getaway driver, in which she does a lot of action scenes. With her fierce personality and athletic skills, she was perfect for the role.
5. Ha Ji Won
Ha Ji Won previously known as the Angelina Jolie for doing several action roles. In her classic drama, "Secret Garden," Ha Ji Won portrayed Gil Ra Im, a stunt double in the drama itself. But despite her having her own stunt double, she tried her best to do most of the stunts in the drama. She prepared by doing weightlifting and swimming, and even got her scuba and motorcycle license to give her role justice!
In one of her interviews, she said that she wanted to keep doing action scenes just like the Hollywood star.
These Korean actresses were able to portray strong and tough characters onscreen, but the most significant part of this is them quashing the over-normalized belief that women are dependent.
