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12 K-dramas where the leading lady does all the saving
2. 'The King: Eternal Monarch' (2020)
Leading lady: Jung Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun)
In this parallel-universe epic, Emperor Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho) crosses into modern-day Korea in search of a mysterious woman who once saved him. That woman turns out to be Detective Jung Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun), a rational, no-nonsense cop who's unimpressed by titles and palaces.
Despite the cosmic romance, Tae-eul is rarely the one being rescued. Instead, she uncovers massive conspiracies, faces off with traitors and grounds Gon with her unwavering logic. She's not a royal consort; she's the backbone of the story's moral compass. Also, she's often the one charging in first. 3. 'Tale of the Nine Tailed' (2020)
Leading lady: Nam Ji-ah (Jo Bo-ah)
Nam Ji-ah (Jo Bo-ah) is a fearless TV producer obsessed with unravelling her parents' mysterious disappearance. Her investigation leads her to a supernatural underworld populated by gumiho (nine-tailed foxes), evil spirits and her eventual love interest, the immortal Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook).
While Lee Yeon has centuries of power, it's Ji-ah who uncovers the truth, resists possession by malevolent forces and repeatedly chooses to fight for her destiny. She's not content to be the fox's damsel. Instead, she's his equal, with a spine of steel and instincts sharper than any fang. 4. 'Sell Your Haunted House' (2021)
Leading lady: Hong Ji-ah (Jang Na-ra)
Hong Ji-ah (Jang Na-ra) is more than a real estate agent. She's also a cold, calculating exorcist who rids properties of lingering spirits. She teams up with fake psychic Oh In-beom (Jung Yong-hwa), but make no mistake: she's the expert, he's the sidekick.
While In-beom fumbles through the supernatural, Ji-ah takes charge with her talismans and spirit-slaying savvy. She's haunted (literally) by past trauma, but her emotional journey is hers to conquer. She fights ghosts and toxic masculinity, one haunted house at a time. 5. 'Inspiring Generation' (2014)
Leading lady: Gaya Deguchi (Im Soo-hyang)
Set in 1930s Shanghai, this historical action drama is filled with revolutionaries, mobsters and bare-knuckle brawls. At the centre of it all is Shin Jung-tae (Kim Hyun-joong), a street fighter with a tragic past and a bruised heart. But among all the testosterone is Gaya Deguchi (Im Soo-hyang), the Japanese-Korean heiress of a powerful gang.
In fact, Gaya is the one who's pulling the strings amid all the chaos. She chooses strategy over sentiment and often saves Jung-tae from political death traps and emotional self-destruction. Her choices shape the plot as much as his fists ever could. 6. 'Hotel del Luna' (2019)
Leading lady: Jang Man-wol (IU)
Jang Man-wol (IU) is the centuries-old CEO of a hotel for ghosts with unresolved grudges. She's vain, vindictive and dresses like a runway model from the Joseon Dynasty. Beneath the designer hanboks, however, is a heart that slowly heals. Goo Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo) may help her process her trauma, but she's the one who protects him from rogue spirits and darker forces.
She doesn't just lead the hotel—she commands it. And when it's time for one final sacrifice, it's Man-wol who walks into the fire on her own terms.
See more: Dressed to dominate: 6 ways K-drama heroines used fashion to showcase their power 7. 'Strong Girl Nam-soon' (2023)
Leading lady: Gang Nam-soon (Lee Yoo-mi)
What did you expect when the plot revolves around a family wherein all the women have super strength? In this spin-off of Strong Woman Do Bong-soon , we meet Gang Nam-soon (Lee Yoo-mi), a quirky, lovable girl with superhuman strength who returns to Korea after being lost in Mongolia as a child. She's not only physically powerful (lifting everything from grown men to airplanes) but emotionally resilient, even after being separated from her family for years.
Nam-soon uses her strength to take down an international drug cartel infiltrating Korea's elite circles, while juggling a budding romance with Detective Gang Hee-sik (Ong Seong-wu). Hee-sik may be the cop with the badge, but Nam-soon is the one busting drug rings and dragging villains to jail (sometimes literally by the collar). While he admires her, she doesn't wait around to be saved—she's the one doing the smashing and rescuing. 8. 'Search: WWW' (2019)
Leading lady: Bae Ta-mi (Im Soo-jung), Cha Hyeon (Lee Da-hee), Song Ga-kyeong (Jeon Hye-jin)
Three powerhouse female leads run the show. Set in the cutthroat world of web portals and tech giants, these women aren't wielding swords but also data, strategy and epic clapbacks. While romance threads through the story, these women are far more focused on saving their careers, reputations and personal agency. For example, Ta-mi's (Im Soo-jung ) relationship with Park Morgan (Jang Ki-yong) is sweet, but she never lets it derail her ambition. 9. 'My Name' (2021)
Leading lady: Yoon Ji-woo (Han So-hee)
This gritty revenge noir follows Ji-woo (Han So-hee), who joins a crime syndicate and infiltrates the police force to uncover the truth behind her father's death. She doesn't wait around for a man to take vengeance for her. Instead, she becomes the weapon. Ji-woo fights, bleeds and outsmarts men in both gangs and law enforcement, relying only on herself (and some serious knife skills) to survive. 10. 'The Glory' (2022–2023)
Leading lady: Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo)
In this gritty drama, Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) orchestrates an entire symphony of vengeance against the rich and remorseless bullies who ruined her youth. With intelligence, patience and icy resolve, she systematically dismantles each villain's life. While there's a gentle male ally (Lee Do-hyun), he's a supporting character in her game. Dong-eun saves herself and exposes the rot behind Korea's elite. 11. 'Arthdal Chronicles (2019-2023)
Leading lady: Tan-ya (Kim Ji-won / Shin Se-kyung)
Tan-ya (Kim Ji-won in Season 1) starts as a spiritual figurehead but slowly builds political power in a war-torn, fantasy civilisation. By the second season, she's (Shin Se-kyung) no longer just the emotional compass—she becomes a sharp strategist outplaying warlords, tribes and even her love interest, Eun-seom (Lee Joon-gi), when needed. She may wear a ceremonial robe, but make no mistake: Tan-ya saves everyone. 12. 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' (2022)
Leading lady: Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin)
Yes, she may need someone to open her water bottles and escort her through revolving doors, but Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin) is as fierce as they come. As a rookie attorney on the autism spectrum, Young-woo doesn't just survive the challenges of a rigid legal world—she triumphs. With a brilliant mind, creative logic and emotional growth, she wins court cases, handles discrimination with grace and even converts sceptics. Male leads support her, but she's never dependent on them. Her victories are hers alone.
