With the recent rise in popularity of Korean media, more audiences than ever before have been exposed to portrayals of Korean women. Most female protagonists in Korean dramas adhere to Confucian gender norms: they are primarily concerned with romance and fail to drive their own narratives. This paper analyzes feminist characters who instead bend or expand conservative gender conventions in order to normalize different lifestyles for all women. In seeking out progressive portrayals, this paper focuses specifically on depictions of unmarried, elderly, and lesbian women in Korean entertainment. By honing in on women who do not fit the mold of traditional or acceptable femininity, this paper argues for more realistic representations of women in modern Korean society.
