16 Kick-Ass K-Drama Heroines You Wouldn’t Want to Mess With
Not all K-drama leading ladies are created equal. Some of these women go beyond aegyo and are not just waiting for an oppa to rescue them—they are their own heroines. The bonus part? They can save you too
The K-drama scene is filled with beautiful women who are charming, adorable, and smart—the kind you would want to protect from all kinds of harm. Then there are gorgeous strong K-drama women who are total bosses with their overall confidence, sharp wit, and intense action skills that you are simultaneously in awe of but are also pretty scared of.
These characters can wear the best gowns yet carry a gun underneath it, look so sweet but can cunningly defend themselves from attacks, and can be in their best fighting forms regardless if they’re wearing fashionable dresses or even just in their plain clothes. They can be very much a femme fatale not only because of their deadly action skills but also because of how analytical and scheming they can get in dangerous situations.
Metro.Style compiled the strong K-drama heroines who bravely displayed their own strength and who can take on intense action scenes to either defend themselves or protect the vulnerable ones.
Women’s Month may be over, but there are many reasons to celebrate women’s empowerment every single day.
Check out the gallery below:
Korean Actresses as Kick-Ass Characters in K-Dramas
Korean Actresses as Kick-Ass Characters in K-Dramas
IU as Jang Man-Wol in “Hotel del Luna”
IU landed the role of a lifetime with one of the most complex and kick-ass characters in K-dramaland—the temperamental hotel owner Jang Man-wol from the fantasy-horror-romance drama “Hotel del Luna.” Just as she’s versatile with her OOTDs, IU as Jang Man-wol got to flex various action abilities like with the knife fight when she thought an enemy found her hiding place, the sword fight with people in the castle or when she took down a ghost with her hairpin-turned-dagger to save the life of her prized hotel manager. Her strategic mind and supernatural powers can get rid of the bad guys and the evil ghosts too.
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN
Kim Hee-Sun as Yoon Tae-Yi in “Alice”
Kim Hee-sun is Yoon Tae-yi, a genius physicist who travels through time to find “The Book of Prophecy” in the sci-fi K-drama “Alice.” As an agent in Alice (the agency that specializes in sending clients back through time to resolve matters), Yoon Tae-yi is determined to finish her mission, protect what needs to be shielded from various forms of danger even if it means putting her own life on the line. What happens is a series of twists that requires our kick-ass heroine to put up a fight, hide her true identity, and make the ultimate sacrifice.
Photo Credit: SBS
Photo Credit: SBS
Photo Credit: SBS
Park Shin-Hye as Gang Seo-Hae in “Sisyphus: The Myth”
We got so used to watching Park Shin-hye as a sweet female lead in romance dramas that it’s a delightful surprise when she accepted the role of tough woman Gang Seo-hae, an elite warrior who tries to save a genius engineer, on “Sisyphus: The Myth.” In this drama, Gang Seo-hae makes a run for her life in an action-packed rooftop chase, ending with her giving the finger to her enemies as she escapes their clutches. That’s iconic. Here, she fights the bad men with her bare hands, makes bombs, aims her gun impeccably to destroy her enemies, and even jumps off a bridge to save lives.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Photo Credit: JTBC
Photo Credit: JTBC
Kim Tae-Ri as Go Ae-Shin in “Mr. Sunshine”
Kim Tae-ri as Go Ae-shin, a noblewoman-turned-assassin in this epic drama, gave life to a strong woman in a historical period when women were hardly empowered. A woman with a rifle is kick-ass enough but a woman armed with a mission to fight for freedom? Now, that is legendary! “Mr. Sunshine” showcased a powerful female character in Go Ae-shin who leads a double life: a prim and proper lady as a noblewoman in a community and then as a gun-toting woman who assassinates Japanese army officials and corrupt pro-Japanese men who go against the ideals of the Righteous Army, of which she is secretly a member of.
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN
Ha Ji-Won as Ki Seung-Nyang in “Empress Ki”
Ha Ji-won plays the titular role in “Empress Ki,” a 2013 drama that tells the story of a woman named Ki Seung-nyang who hails from a humble status, overcomes obstacles, and rises to become a powerful empress in the land. Whether she’s wielding a sword, aiming her bow and arrow with precision, battling it out with men and women warriors, majestically riding a horse or enduring pain, Empress Ki is a powerful character in K-dramaland that truly made a mark in Korean TV history. In addition, Ha Ji-won played another strong woman role in the hit Korean drama “Secret Garden,” where she played a strong and intelligent stunt woman who cannot be bullied by the arrogant wealthy people, as well as a North Korean Special Forces officer and instructor known in the military to be an “Iron Lady” in “The King2Hearts.”
Photo Credit: TVAsiaChen
Photo Credit: MBC
Photo Credit: MBC
Bae Suzy as Go Hae-Ri in “Vagabond”
The beautiful Bae Suzy sheds off her prim and proper persona for her role as Go Hae-ri, a secret agent of the National Intelligence Service who is hungry for a promotion in her field. In “Vagabond,” Go Hae-ri is more than just a beauty—she is a dangerous woman who can instinctively defend herself from threats or pull out her gun when the need arises. Together with Lee Seung-gi’s Cha Dal-gun, she investigates a fatal flight and uncovers a dark conspiracy behind it. Bae Suzy also played the role of a martial arts instructor who's skilled in using bow and arrow in “Gu Family Book,” wherein she also starred with Lee Seung-gi.
Photo Credit: SBS
Photo Credit: SBS
Photo Credit: SBS
Kim So-Hyun as Princess Pyeonggang in “River Where the Moon Rises”
In this historical K-drama that retells a classic Goguryeo folktale, Kim So-hyun stars as Princess Pyeonggang who has dreams of ruling as the Queen regnant and re-establishing Goguryeo. She was trained to be a soldier, so there was a generous serving of sword fighting and horse riding. This is Kim So-hyun’s first attempt at a historical drama with an action spin, and she definitely delivered. On being on the battlefield, Kim So-hyun shared, “It felt foreign to me because it was my first time doing action scenes with a sword, so I watched a lot of action videos. I filmed while asking many questions and learning from the stunt actors. I studied hard on what I could do to portray my emotions better.”
Photo Credit: KBS2
Photo Credit: KBS2
Photo Credit: KBS2
Kim Sejeong as Do Han-Na in “The Uncanny Counter”
Kim Sejeong as Do Han-na in “The Uncanny Counter” is a member of a group of paranormal-hunters who fight evil spirits. Protector to new “Counter” So Mun, Do Han-na can bravely tackle a group of bullies and even expertly train a newbie to hone his fight skills. Her defenses are on high alert so she can kick and throw her fists hard at the first sign of danger. In a scene from the drama, it was so satisfying to watch her fill her villainous uncle’s mouth with golf balls and punch him hard after. Don’t mess with Dong Han-na—the smart, beautiful and kind counter who has a strong sense of justice.
Photo Credit: OCN
Photo Credit: OCN
Photo Credit: Jellyfish
Moon Chae-Won as Cha Ji-Won in “Flower of Evil”
Moon Chae-won’s Cha Ji-won is not your typical wife and mother, and her adorable family is also nowhere near ordinary. She’s married to a loving and caring man (Lee Joon-gi as Do Hyun-soo) who doesn’t mind being a house husband to let his wife fulfill the demands of her job as a detective. However, the happiness of their family is threatened when the mysterious past of Cha Ji-won’s husband starts haunting them. Now, she has to carry out her responsibilities as a detective, solve the serial murder case they’re faced with, and at the same time protect her family.
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN
Kim Go-Eun as Jung Tae-Eul in “The King: Eternal Monarch”
It’s not everyday we get to see a K-drama leading lady arrest a handsome leading man, investigate him, and even throw him to jail. Immune to Lee Min-ho’s charms, Kim Go-eun as Jung Tae-eul in “The King: Eternal Monarch” is too focused on her crime-fighting job to notice how good-looking a suspicious guy is. Jung Tae-eul is a strong taekwondo black belter who can take on the bad guys regardless of which dimension they come from. She is also a sharpshooter who charmingly wins a stuffed toy for her boyfriend—talk about role reversal.
Photo Credit: SBS / Netflix
Photo Credit: SBS / Netflix
Photo Credit: SBS / Netflix
Kim Ok-Vin as Lee Hwa-Sun in “Dark Hole”
Mystery-thriller-fantasy K-drama “Dark Hole” isn’t the first time Kim Ok-vin got to breathe life into a strong female character. In the past, she also starred as a rookie detective who has a supernatural ability to see death in “Children of a Lesser God” and a warrior with political ambitions in “Arthdal Chronicles.” Meanwhile, “Dark Hole” saw her playing the role of Lee Hwa-sun as a detective at the regional investigation unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, who finds herself in a chaotic situation, fighting monsters (a dark smoke causes people to turn into monsters) called mutants.
Photo Credit: OCN
Photo Credit: OCN
Photo Credit: OCN
Lee Se-Young as Han Sun-Mi in “Memorist”
As Han Sun-mi, Lee Se-young portrays the role of a woman who has a painful past that has shaped who she is as a person. 20 years ago, her father was murdered. Fast forward to present day, Han Sun-mi is an independent, righteous lawyer-turned-police officer who happens to be the youngest Superintendent of Special Investigation Headquarters. While investigating a serial murder case, she has to be brave and face her own fears brought on by her heartbreaking childhood memory.
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN
Bae Doona as Han Yeo-Jin in “Stranger”
Bae Doona has always been associated with kick-ass characters, considering her roles in the American film “Jupiter Ascending” and sci-fi drama “Sense8.” In the K-drama scene, she also impressed as Han Yeo-jin, a feisty yet warm-hearted police lieutenant, in crime thriller “Stranger” (or “Secret Forest”), which was extended to a second season. And of course, because her portrayal was so convincing, she reprised her role in it.
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN
Photo Credit: tvN | AsianWiki
Lee Si-Young as Seo Yi-Kyung in “Sweet Home”
Actress Lee Si-young plays the role of Seo Yi-kyung, a firefighter from a special force unit who helps fight off the monsters on Netflix’s horror series “Sweet Home.” She bulked up for her role on the show as the firefighter who bravely leads her group in order to survive the apocalyptic situation they’re in. Her martial arts expertise and her instincts help protect people from danger. She crawls through vents to escape the monster, fights off baddies with sheer strength, and even drives off a huge truck all by herself to battle the monster and save the day.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Photo Credit: Netflix
Photo Credit: Netflix
Park Bo-Young as Do Bong-Soon in “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon”
Who would have thought that a cute and charming lady possesses supernatural strength that could make grown men cry and basically crush them? Park Bo-young as Do Bong-soon won the hearts of viewers with her atypical character: a girl born with superhuman strength who kind of wants to be seen as a delicate and dainty woman too. Whether fighting off bullies or tracking a serial kidnapper, Do Bong-soon uses her powers for the good. As opposed to being a damsel in distress in this drama, she’s hired as a bodyguard to protect her boss-turned-love interest.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Photo Credit: JTBC
Photo Credit: JTBC
Park Min-Young as Kim Na-Na in “City Hunter”
Long before Park Min-young starred in the widely popular rom-com K-drama “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,” Park Min-young was already a head-turner in the 2011 action-thriller-romance “City Hunter.” Her character here, Kim Na-na, was forced to be independent early on, as her mother dies in a car accident and her father ends up in a coma. Trained in martial arts, she lands a job as a bodyguard for the Presidential Security Service.
Photo Credit: SBS
Photo Credit: SBS
Photo Credit: SBS
Are you inspired by these strong ladies in K-dramas? If you are just as confident, sharp, and strong-willed as they are, do not apologize for being you. Celebrate your individuality and face life’s challenges successfully—with or without an oppa. Be your own heroine.
Who are the other K-drama heroines you love who are not part of this list? Let us know!
Lead photos from tvN and SBS
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