International Women’s Day is usually a day to honor women’s achievements and recognize their resilience. While all of that matters, one thing that is often overlooked is a quieter truth: behind every image of a woman’s resilience lies compromise, exhaustion, and societal pressure. For many women, resilience, strength, and empowerment are born from dramatic events or the heavy expectations they must endure. That is what makes their stories resonate on screen, especially in K-dramas.
If you observe closely, you’ll notice that female characters in Korean shows are often written at the intersection of duty, family responsibilities, work, sacrifice, and societal pressure. While these women may be involved in romantic storylines, they also carry emotional and social burdens that shape their lives. Again and again, you’ll see daughters trying not to disappoint their parents, or mothers constantly sacrificing for their families. Sometimes they choose responsibility or family because they feel they have no other choice. And sometimes, they fall apart and cry when no one is watching.
It is worth noting that the burdens women carry in these dramas often mirror the burdens women face in real life. Beneath the romance, fantasy plots, or comedic moments, K-dramas often capture truths that feel very close to our own reality. So, here are some female characters whose lives are shaped by work, compromise, family expectations, endurance, and societal pressure.
‘My Mister’ – Lee Ji An
After watching ‘My Mister’, I remember thinking how profoundly upsetting and traumatic Ji-an’s life must be. Her entire life — filled with misery, pain, and overwhelming debt — has been built around survival. To some extent, she is clearly burdened by shame and a deep lack of self-worth.
Although this can be open to interpretation, it often feels as if she carries a quiet death wish, especially in the way she pushes herself to the point of physical collapse through relentless work. Yet even then, she knows that death is not truly an option, because it would mean abandoning her grandmother, who depends entirely on her.
‘Because This Is My First Life’ – Yoon Ji Ho
At first glance, this 2017 South Korean romantic series appears to have a simple plot: a contract marriage. But beneath that romantic premise lies a harsh reality about adulthood and the expectations placed on women.
In the show, the female lead ends up in a contract marriage because she needs a safe place to live. However, we all know it was more than just about housing. She had a dream of becoming a writer, but life, as we all know, made her feel that her dream was not suited to her world. As she turned thirty, the expectations grew louder: ‘When will you have a stable job? When will you marry?’
‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ – Ae Sun
With a stellar cast and a beautifully compelling story, this was one of my favourite 2025 K-dramas. While the story explored family relationships, love, warmth, and hope, it also left a bittersweet taste, especially if you consider the journey of Ae Sun. She had a dream of becoming a renowned poet and going to university, but poverty cornered her into sacrifice. She was trapped by responsibilities and had to give up all her dreams, all while enduring criticism and judgment from her in-laws. Yet everything she went through didn’t stop her from working hard to send her daughter to university and achieve what she couldn’t.
‘Love Next Door’ – Baek Seok Ryu
In the very first episode, when the female lead returns home after leaving her prestigious job and reveals that she has broken off her engagement, her mother immediately starts hitting her. That scene itself says a lot about the kind of family pressure she has lived under. It shows how much she was expected to play the role of the ‘perfect daughter’ and constantly satisfy her family’s expectations.
‘Sky Castle’ – Han Seo Jin
Many people may not agree with my interpretation of this character, but I believe this female lead can still be read through the lens of the societal pressure placed on women. Han Seo-jin may have shown a very twisted and greedy sense of parental love and responsibility, but her harmful behavior could also be seen as a product of the belief and expectation that a parent must produce successful students. While she was a mean person who hurt others’ feelings and even shed ‘crocodile tears’ when needed, I think she represents an extreme and villainous version of a mother who would go to any extent for her children.
Written by Diksha Gangadeen
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