These characters are role models of overcoming hardships to become better versions of yourselves.
Watching Korean dramas has always been not only about finding entertainment, but also teaches us valuable life lessons. That includes never giving up and working hard to achieve your goals. Or don’t blame the situation if things in life don’t go as expected. There are many K-drama characters who inspire us to overcome difficult times. Here are 6 examples of such characters.
Song Sam Dong – Dream High (2011)
The story of Song Sam Dong (Kim Soo Hyun) in Dream High is emotional and uplifting. Growing up in an ordinary family in the countryside, not having an outstanding appearance, but Song Sam Dong has the courage to pursue his dreams of becoming a singer and transform himself for the better.
Song Sam Dong‘s story is not only a lesson to overcome adversity but also inspires us to have more self-confidence. Throughout 2 seasons of Dream High, Song Sam Dong is probably the most memorable character with the best arc.
Hong Seol – Cheese In The Trap (2016)
The female lead of Cheese In The Trap, college student Hong Seol (Kim Go Eun) is someone we can all learn from. She is smart, hardworking and kind. Although she has to go to school and work at the same time to help her father pay off his debt and provide money for her younger brother to study abroad, Hong Seol still does a great job with her studies and always receives a scholarship. With all her efforts, Hong Seol deserves to succeed in life.
Kim Jo Jo – Love Alarm (2019 & 2021)
Kim Jo Jo (Kim So Hyun) of Love Alarm has a pitiful background. She lost both her parents when she was a child and had to move into her aunt’s house, but instead of receiving love and emotional support, she gets treated poorly by her aunt and mean cousin. When she is in high school, besides attending classes, Kim Jo Jo spends the majority of her time working part-time at a barbeque restaurant and her aunt’s convenience store, to earn money for college and pay off her mother’s debt.
Life is not fair to her, but Kim Jo Jo still refuses to give up. She later gets into a famous university. Jo Jo is also a popular illustrator with a million followers on Instagram. Kim Jo Jo definitely deserves a happy ending after everything she has gone through.
Bae Ro Na – Penthouse (2020 – 2021)
As the purest and most benevolent child in ’Penthouse’, Bae Ro Na (Kim Hyun Soo) has probably experienced too much unhappiness in her life. Growing up in a difficult situation without being cared for by her father and grandmother, Bae Ro Na still tries to study hard so that she can become the pride of her mother Oh Yoon Hee (Eugene). Despite the fact that she is not always a nice daughter to her mother, Oh Yoon Hee remains the most important person in Bae Ro Na‘s life.
Experiencing a series of tragedies, but thanks to her efforts, Bae Ro Na has had a life with an extremely successful career later. I only regret that by the time the success is over, her beloved mother has gone.
Cha Mi Jo – Thirty Nine (2022)
Despite living a happy, worry-free life, Cha Mi Jo (Son Ye Jin) in Thirty-nine still has mixed feelings about her adopted daughter’s background. Although she lives a peaceful life in an orphanage and is deeply loved by foster parents and older sister, Cha Mi Jo still feels sorry for herself and always looks forward to finding her biological mother.
However, Cha Mi Jo is also a very thoughtful person when she goes to find her biological mother on her own and not letting her adoptive parents know for fear that they will be upset. Cha Mi Jo grew up, became successful and became an almost perfect woman like now, in addition to her efforts, there is also the extremely good upbringing from the adopted family.
Cha Tae Joo – Juvenile Justice (2022)
I quickly guessed why judge Cha Tae Joo (Kim Mu Yeol) was so nice and gentle towards the minors in ‘Juvenile Justice’, probably because I watched too many Korean dramas. Cha Tae Joo was raised in an unhappy family and he has made some mistakes in the past as a teenager. Cha Tae Joo has matured into a wise and well-educated judge who is committed to assisting those who have been “misled” in life.
Cha Tae Joo is a firm believer in the power of love and tolerance to transform people. As he revealed with judge Shim Eun Seok (Kim Hye Soo), his belief isn’t always right . Cha Tae Joo, on the other hand, is a character worth learning from, especially for his optimism.
Circumstances are never something to be blamed for, and it’s even more so in the cases I’ve mentioned in this article. Watching Korean dramas is not just to see beautiful characters or indulge in sweet love stories. There are also so many inspirational and honorable stories like this to follow and learn from them.
