These days, it’s hard to find a female character who creates frustration with her passive attitudes. Rather the stylish-looking “girl crush” and “gender-free” characters have emerged as hot trends.
The dramas, which mainly revolved around the male characters, are transforming in line with the changes in society, introducing female as the main characters. From poor and innocent images to active and ambitious images, the transformations continue. Jung Geum Ja, played by Kim Hae Soo, in Hyena, is the best example of “ambitious female character.” Jung Geum Ja is a relentless lawyer, who is also determined to win at any cost. She even fixed her own fate as a child, boldly breaking the cliché of being rescued by hero.
Jung Geum Ja’s assistant, Lee Ji Eun, is also a unique character. Unlike the typical secretary, she looks comfortable in glasses and short haircut. She is also a reliable supporter of Jung Geum Ja as she shows off her ability of accomplishing her jobs quickly and perfectly. Also, the bond between Kim Hye Soo and Oh Kyung Hwa in the play is also acclaimed by the viewers.
Kim Seo Hyung plays a veteran detective Cha Young Jin in Nobody Knows. She is the one who leads the play as she properly shows off her “awesomeness.” Without turning a blind eye to the guilt of failing to save a friend 19 years ago, Kim Seo Hyung still chasing the serial killer, never being freed from the guilt.
Some actors even go beyond the female characters. Lee Ju Young’s role in Itaewon Class has an exceptional setting of being a transgender. This transgender character was never seen in Korea dramas before, but it expanded the “female characters” by being portrayed as someone who proudly moves forward into the world. Lee Ju Young said in an interview with Harper’s BAZAAR, that she wanted to “be true to how Ma Hyun Yi felt in each episode, rather than the setting behind the character.”
