LIST: K-drama moms that encapsulate different kinds of motherhood
K-drama moms do more than just give warm hugs and cook comforting meals.
These women do it all—balance their careers, shield their children from trauma, and keep their family together.
In time for Mother's Day, PhilSTAR L!fe has compiled a list of different K-drama mothers who show what it truly means to be a mom.
The self-sacrificing mothers
Oh Ae-sun, When Life Gives You Tangerines
In When Life Gives You Tangerines, Oh Ae-sun, portrayed by Moon So-ri, stands out as one of the film’s most complex and emotionally compelling characters.
Ae-sun shows her love in practical and understated ways like rising early to work, thrifting to make ends meet, and supporting her emotionally distant daughter, Yang Geum-myeong (IU).
Lee Il-Hwa, Reply 1988
Reply 1988, a nostalgic slice-of-life drama, portrays three distinct mothers in a Seoul neighborhood. Lee Il-hwa’s character exhibits quiet strength and unwavering devotion as she holds down the fort for her family without asking for recognition.
Her love language is cooking food not just for her husband and children but for the neighborhood, as well.
Cha Yu-ri, Hi Bye, Mama!
In Hi Bye, Mama!, Kim Tae-hee plays Cha Yu-ri, a mother who becomes a lingering ghost after getting hit by a car while nine months pregnant.
Ghost Yu-ri gets a second chance at life for 49 days, and she reappears before her now-remarried husband and daughter. Should she choose her own happiness or move on and let go?
Hye Soo, Marriage Contract
Single mother Hye Soo (Uee) is drowning in debt and struggling to raise her daughter, Eun Sung (Shin Rih Ah). She agrees to a fake marriage with Ji Hun (Lee Seo Jin), who needs a liver donor for his mother. Little do they know, it's actually Hye Soo who is dying and racing against time to leave her daughter in good hands.
The ambitious mothers
Coach Kim and Han Seo-jin, Sky Castle
K-dramas like Sky Castle (2018) explore mothers consumed by ambition and societal pressure.
Kim Seo-hyung as Coach Kim and Yum Jung-ah as Han Seo-jin are obsessed with elite academics—and there's a dark side to it.
These moms are rigid, competitive, at times, ruthless, but behind their tough facade is fear of failure, judgment, and seeing their child endure hardships.
Cheon Seo-jin, The Penthouse
In The Penthouse, Kim So-yeon’s Cheon Seo-jin is manipulative, controlling, and desperate to make her daughter into a musical prodigy. But there's a reason for these ambitions: her own unresolved trauma.
Green Mother's Club
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Lee Eun-pyo (Lee Yo Won), Byeon Chun-Hui (Chu Ja Hyun), Seo Jin-ha (Kim Kyu Ri), Kim Young-mi (Jang Hye Jin), and Park Yun-joo (Joo Min Kyung) headline this drama as ambitious mothers from various backgrounds.
Although their children are still in elementary school, these women don't busy themselves with casual playdates or soccer games. Instead, they're in fierce competition with each other, pushing their kids to succeed academically.
Non-biological and surrogate mothers
K-dramas also emphasized that motherhood is not limited to biological ties.
Kang Soo-jin, Mother
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Kang Soo-jin (Lee Bo-young) plays a school teacher who learns that one of her students is being abused at home. When reporting the situation to the police does nothing, the teacher decides to take the child, and the two form a bond instantly.
Hwa-Young, Two Mothers
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Hwa-young (Lee Chae-young) blames Yeon-hee (Jang Seo-hee), her brother’s ex-girlfriend, for his tragic death. When Yeon-hee, now married and struggling with uterine cancer, can no longer have children, Hwa-young offers to be her surrogate.
It all turns out to be a revenge plot. After giving birth and allowing Yeon-hee to raise the child, Hwa-young cruelly tries to take the baby back to destroy her.
