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The Korean LGBTQ+ community is always working towards a more inclusive future. In 2024, eleven couples fought for same-sex marriage rights. The same year, a plastic surgery clinic controversially promoted a procedure called ‘sexual minority eye surgery,’ which promised to make patients' eyelids look more traditionally feminine or masculine. Just a couple of years back in 2020, Seoul National University welcomed its first lesbian student body president, while Korean Air recognized a lesbian couple as a family in one of their promotions in Dec 2019. This wouldn't have been possible without the queer and lesbian representation in Korean media over the years.
According to a survey conducted in 2019, around 67 percent of South Korean respondents found the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the media unproblematic, and approximately 87 percent of respondents in their 20s showed their support for inclusive representation in the media. Such a positive response is noteworthy, as depictions of same-sex relationships were outright banned until 2004, when the National Human Rights Commission successfully challenged the ban. However, LGBTQ+-themed content continued to face scrutiny and sanctions from the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), even after the ban was lifted.
Queer And Korean: What's It Like To Be Lesbian In South Korea?K-Culture InsightsMay 27, 2025
Even in recent years, major networks censor existing content ahead of public broadcasts. For instance, in early 2021, SBS cut or obscured all gay kisses from the film “Bohemian Rhapsody” when airing it on TV. Thus, visibility is one of the most radical ways in which love can prevail. Let's take a close look at lesbian representation in Korean media in the past decade to better understand the changing perspectives of South Koreans towards the LGBTQ+ community.
How Lesbian Characters in K-Dramas Evolved from 2015 to 2025
In the mid-2010s, mainstream Korean dramas shied away from depicting lesbian relationships. Most early portrayals are limited to short-form web series. For example, “Lily Fever” (2015) was a groundbreaking web drama presenting a whimsical schoolgirl romance. Earlier in the same year, JTBC aired the K-Drama "Seonam Girls High School Investigators," featuring a kiss between two high school girls.
The scene fueled a debate about portrayals of sexuality due to social stigmas. A spokesman for the JTBC cable channel, which produced the show, said the kiss had been included because it was “necessary to the plot.” The network later went ahead to produce the two-part mini-series “Hello, Dracula” (2020), which sensitively portrayed the story of a closeted teacher and her mother.
Another major mainstream media network, tvN, released their romantic K-Drama “Nevertheless,” in 2021. It featured a subplot of two college women (nicknamed: Sol-JiWan) whose courtship made several hearts swoon. Reviewers praised the series for its nuanced, heartfelt portrayal of the pair’s first love, particularly appreciating its finale, which finally couples the girls. In the same year, the network produced “Mine,” which became the first mainstream Korean drama with a lead lesbian character. In the series, Jung SeoHyun (Kim SeoHyung) is a chaebol wife who reunites with her ex-girlfriend.
The show was a hit among international audiences through Netflix, and it also topped cable ratings. Actress Kim SeoHyung noted in interviews that almost no prior dramas represented a lesbian woman’s story, which became a deciding factor for her. Meanwhile, cast member and actress Kim JungHwa’s husband, singer Yoo EunSung, received condemnations for claiming that he isn't an ally. Actress Kim SeoHyung’s management later apologized for the comments.
What’s Different About Lesbian Representation in 2025 K-Dramas?
In 2025, more and more K-Dramas are trying to represent lesbian relationships authentically. They aren't brushing it away as a fantasy genre or limiting it to a subplot. Instead, they are embracing it and attempting to keenly portray the depth of their emotions and the progression of their relationship. Girls’ Day’s Lee HyeRi starrer “Friendly Rivalry” (Feb 2025) and Kim TaeRi starrer “JeongNyeon: The Star Is Born” (Oct 2024) are the best examples of this change.
Both the K-Dramas followed the passions, tussles, and romance between their lead characters without any tokenism. Among them, “Friendly Rivalry” even featured a kiss scene, which garnered much reception and praise from the audience and critics alike. In a press conference, Lee HyeRi stated she didn't worry about the scene, finding it believable and a way to effectively portray her character's emotional connection with co-star Chung SuBin. She felt 'more at ease' shooting the scene. For queer fans growing up without on-screen role models, these characters and scenes feel like long-overdue validation.
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