Dobongsun·Park Bokja... Redefining Women in Dramas

New Women Navigating Baek Mi-kyung's Dramas
Focusing on Female Narratives to Counter Prejudices Against Women
Combining Women and Superheroes, Makjang, and Mystery Genres
Delivering Catharsis to Viewers with New Characters

The trajectory of writer Baek Mi-kyung, who focuses on female narratives, began as a response to prejudices against women. She explains, "After the success of 'Strong Woman Do Bong-soon,' I planned and pre-produced 'The Lady in Dignity,' but the broadcasting station asked who would watch a story with two women in their 40s as the main characters. Until then, female narratives were strictly classified as niche and faced difficulties in scheduling." Photo by the writer

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] In the rapidly changing content market, writer Baek Mi-kyung is showcasing a variety of new female characters based on melodramatic elements through the genre transformation of "female narratives."

In Strong Woman Do Bong-soon, the protagonist Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young)'s superhuman strength is based on matrilineal DNA inherited from Mrs. Park Gae-boon, who threw stones to defeat the enemy during the Battle of Haengju. In Graceful Woman, Park Bok-ja (Kim Sun-a) openly expresses her desire to become like Woo Ah-jin (Kim Hee-sun), the daughter-in-law of a paper company whom she admires. In various stories combining women and superhero themes, as well as melodrama and mystery, the writer's characters meet actors who excellently embody their roles, delivering profound completeness along with a unique catharsis.

In Mine, the writer depicted female solidarity fighting against prejudice that does not accept or acknowledge differences. The protagonists were a stepmother, a single mother, and sexual minorities. To give depth to characters not driven by money, the background was set in a chaebol family, realistically portraying the hypocrisy and conflicts behind the wealth represented by enormous capital.

The writer’s focus on female narratives began as a response to prejudice against women. She explains, “After the success of Strong Woman Do Bong-soon, I planned and pre-produced Graceful Woman, but the broadcasting station asked who would watch a story with two women in their 40s as the main characters. Until then, female narratives were strictly classified as niche and faced difficulties in scheduling.”

Within just a few years, women have become protagonists and diverse characters roaming K-content. “Truth does not go away just because you postpone it... I intend to face it head-on,” she says, echoing a line from Mine. Through narratives, she continues her challenge with various female characters and solidarity.

The globally popular American TV drama The X-Files demonstrated various influences. The so-called “Scully Effect” (named after Dana Scully, the protagonist and doctor/scientist in The X-Files, which led to an increase in women entering STEM fields such as mathematics, science, and engineering) proved the impact of autonomous female characters in media on real society. Writer Baek hopes that through her works, many viewers “accept and embrace differences from themselves and break free from stereotypes,” confessing, “As a writer, my wish is to write dramas that make viewers happier after watching than before.”

At a time when the power of content is growing from a tool for consolation and vicarious satisfaction in a harsh reality where laws and principles are not properly implemented to one that exerts active influence, she, who has focused on women as a minority, is expected to continue new challenges without being confined to “female narratives.” “If, over time, male-centered dramas are neglected and men become socially disadvantaged, then perhaps I will be writing male-centered narratives?”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.