MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In every Korean drama, one can identify with many strong character leads. Whether it is their family background, their dreams and aspirations, or how these characters end up falling in love, these stories resonate with audiences worldwide.
In time for women’s month, here are some strong female leads that have captured the hearts of many Filipinos.
Crash Landing On You
They have the kind of love that breaks cultural norms – a North Korean soldier Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok (played by Hyun Bin) and a CEO of her own company from South Korea Yoon Se-ri (played by Son Ye-jin) fall in love amid unusual circumstances. Se-ri built her own company from the ground up. As she tests a demo product, she finds herself out of her comfort zone as she lands in the North Korean territory where she meets Captain Ri. Theirs is a forbidden love, but they overcome adversities and come out stronger – always finding a way back to one another.
Search: WWW
Bae Ta-mi (played by Im Soo-jung), Cha Hyeon (played by Lee Da-hee) and Song Ga-kyeong (played by Jeon Hye-hjin) are strong women who break the society’s norms. As they work hard to be women on top of their careers, they stand by their own beliefs. These include letting go of things that hold them back – whether it is from achieving their dreams or from the things that tend to be so toxic in their lives such as unhealthy relationships. Even more so, each of them strives to champion human rights to uncover the truth by disseminating proper and accurate information which can be found and accessed in the digital space.
Start-Up
Finding ways to reach their dreams, Seo Dal-mi (played by Bae Suzy) and Seo In-jae (played by Kang Han-na) are sisters who were once torn apart by their parent’s divorce. They pave their own path as they seek opportunities to build their start-up dreams in Sandbox, a Silicon Valley-inspired start-up community. These two women became self-made millionaires as they journeyed through the ups and downs of the start-up business while finding love and experiencing loss in-between.
Strong Woman Do Bong-soon
With an unbelievable superhuman strength that is passed on to every woman in her family, Do Bong-soon (played by Park Bo-young) defies gender stereotypes as she becomes a bodyguard to Ahn Min-hyuk (played by Park Hyung-sik), the CEO of a gaming company. Bong-soon, not only serves as a bodyguard but serves justice as she fights neighborhood crimes. Bong-soon breaks barriers and redefines feminism, most especially found in Korean dramas.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
A gifted weightlifter, Kim Bok-joo (played by Lee Sung-kyung), perseveres to win a gold medal that will make her part of the national team. As she goes through her adolescence, she learns how it is to like someone and fall in love while making her dreams happen. Bok-joo hides her insecurities behind her tough exterior. But she learns to embrace herself for who she is as she takes on the path towards self-love.
A far greater reach through forged partnership
The Hallyu Wave, also known as the Korean Wave, has taken various countries by storm, including the Philippines where it has reached the hearts of many Filipinos during the early 2000s. From Korean drama series dubbed in Filipino, to watching these series in various online media platforms, there is no doubt that these Korean dramas have brought tremendous joy and comfort to Filipinos nationwide.
PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications is allowing Filipinos to ride the Hallyu Wave and immerse in a world of entertainment by providing simple and easy access to streaming platforms. From bringing Crash Landing On You power couple Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jn; to Korean drama star Park Seo-jun; and Grammy-nominated, global icon BTS, Smart has strengthened the Hallyu Wave in the Philippines as it brings world-class entertainment to Filipinos.
For instance, for as low as P50 a day, Smart and TNT users can avail of Smart Giga Video which includes open access data and up to 1GB or one hour of Video Every Day access. Smart Giga Video+ is also available for P75 (1GB open access data 3 days), P449 (4GB open access data for 30 days), P549 (6GB open access data for 30 days) and P649 (8GB open access data for 30 days), as well as up to 1GB or one hour of Video Every Day access.
Smart also recently launched a partnership with Netflix which enables Smart Signature SIM-Only Plan customers to get a monthly Netflix Mobile Plan subscription. This will allow them to pursue their passion for Korean culture and enjoy thousands of award-winning shows, series, documentaries, specials, and feature films right at their fingertips.
