Television viewers in and out of Korea are now being swept away with the Korean drama wave, thanks to the ever-growing popularity of K-dramas.
With the global audience for Korean music and television series exploding across Asia, North America and Europe, there is no denying that the Korean entertainment industry is flourishing by leaps and bounds. Today, Korean television series are among the hottest on Netflix and other video streaming sites, and currently airing K-dramas just can't be subtitled quickly enough to satisfy non-English-speaking fans around the world.
According to Social Feed, K-dramas come in various shapes and sizes, just as their characters do. And while female leads are often portrayed as the weaklings or damsels in distress, there are those who are also exceptionally strong and don't easily back down when things get tough.
Here are the 10 K-drama heroines whose grit and strength make them seem like they're one of the boys, according to Allkpop:
10: Ha Ji Won as Gil Ra Im in "Secret Garden"
Gil Ra Im is a stuntwoman whose life takes a turn when a CEO falls in love with her. Her potential mother-in-law makes every effort to let her down, but there is no stopping her from being a tough nut to crack. In the series, she speeds to the set in a sports car and fights every baddie she comes across.
9: Seo Ye Ji as Shim Soon Duk in "Murim School"
Soon Duk is a distinguished student in her school. At one point in the series, she saves Chi Ang from drowning and even rescues the two male leads from being attacked by vicious wolves.
8: Shin Se Kyung as Oh Cho Rim/Choi Eun Seol in "The Girl Who Can See Smells"
After witnessing firsthand the murder of her parents, Oh Cho Rim wakes up from coma without any memory and with no ability to see smells. Even with these disabilities, she is still able to successfully track down the people behind her parents' death.
7: Z. HERA as Park Soon Duk in "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo"
Park Soon Duk is a housewife who prefers to be active than beautiful. The wife to the 10th prince, she does not mind beating the palace guards when play-fighting.
6: Suzy as Dam Yeo Wool in "Book of the House of Gu"
She is a trained archer who falls in love with a gumiho. Despite the prophecy foretelling her doom, she still chooses to take out hordes of assassins in the woods to protect her true love.
5: Park Min Young as Kim Na Na in "City Hunter"
In "City Hunter," Na Na is the President's bodyguard whose determination in life is certainly endearing. She makes the best use of her martial arts skills to get her love in the right position for a kiss.
4: Kim So Yeon as Kim Sun Hwa in "Iris"
A certified femme fatale, Sun Hwa is the love interest of the main character in "Iris." She is a fighter who vows to seek revenge for her loved ones, even if that means having to blow through multitudes of North Korean agents in the process.
3: Park Shin Hye as Yoo Hye Jung in "Doctors"
Known for her rags to riches story, Hye Jung is a poor little student who succeeds in becoming a top-of-the-line surgeon later in life. She openly criticizes the corrupt officials at the hospital she works at.
2: Yoon So Yi as Yoo Min Joo in "Hidden Identity"
Like a Bond villain, Min Joo has both brains and brawn. At one point in the series, her cover gets blown so she tells the baddie outright that she's been following him for a while. She does not mind beating up the bad guys.
1: Lee Young Ah as Yoo Jung In in "Vampire Prosecutor"
Jung In is the top of her class prosecutor who does not know how to get depressed at all. She sleuths like a boss and fights gangsters single-handedly.
