Women in their 50s and 60s are 'the older the ginger, the spicier' in Korean movies

53-year-old actress Uhm Jung Hwa in the movie Doctor Cha - Photo: JTBC

Korean dramas were once known for their youthful casts of beautiful men and women.

However, over time, as Korean films expanded their audience with diverse genres, the main characters in the films were no longer young girls who dreamed about life.

The first months of 2023 witnessed the return of many veteran actresses who are 50 or nearly 60 years old.

They do not act in romantic "pink" films, but choose for themselves roles with deep psychological depth, in film genres from politics to medicine.

The old names return

The movie that is currently at number 1 on Netflix Vietnam is Doctor Cha. The movie marks the return of 53-year-old actress Uhm Jung Hwa.

In the film, Uhm Jung Hwa plays Cha Jeong Juk - a full-time housewife who gave up her career for 20 years to take care of her husband and children.

One day, when a family tragedy struck, Jeong Suk decided to return to work, starting everything from scratch to become a resident physician.

Kim Hee Ae is powerful in the movie Queenmaker - Photo: Netflix

Previously, in April, the Korean screen welcomed the impressive return of veteran actress Kim Hee Ae, now 56 years old, in the movie Queenmaker. The movie does not follow the conventional path of love stories or money struggles, but revolves around the theme of politics.

In the film, Kim Hee Ae transforms into Hwang Do Hee, a strong and independent female "powerhouse" with excellent ability to steer public opinion.

She helped Oh Kyung Sook (Moon So Ri) become mayor of Seoul. Notably, the actress who plays the second lead role in the film alongside Kim Hae Ae, Moon So Ri, is also nearly 50 years old this year.

Another impressive comeback this year is Jeon Do Yeon with the drama Crash Course in Love.

Playing the role of a single mother, the 50-year-old actress shows a variety of emotions.

Sometimes she is a passionate and somewhat overbearing mother who loves her daughter wholeheartedly, and sometimes she is an innocent and shy woman in love.

Her perfect transformation made the audience admire the class of the Cannes Film Festival winner.

"The older the ginger, the spicier it is"

According to Soompi, the change in Korean dramas partly depends on the taste of viewers.

In the past, Korean TV viewers were mainly fascinated by handsome, gallant male leads who could protect the woman they loved. But over time, the prince - Cinderella story gradually became outdated, far from reality, and no longer as popular as before.

Female audiences began to admire strong, mature women who could live their lives independently or fight for justice.

Jeon Do Yeon and Jung Kyung Ho in Crash Course in Love - Photo: tvN

That is why the comeback of veteran Korean actresses is eagerly anticipated and supported. Not only do they have a proven track record of acting thanks to their extensive experience, names like Kim Hae Ae, Jeon Do Yeon, Moon So Ri or Uhm Jung Hwa will always consider carefully when choosing a comeback project.

Instead of simple, light scripts, they tend to choose scripts with thorny content, exploiting real life, thereby portraying character portraits in a realistic way.

In addition, according to audience Phuong Chau (26 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) - who regularly watches Korean movies: "Currently, in Korea, the trend of women choosing an independent life, not depending on men, is on the rise. Many people focus on taking care of themselves, pursuing their dreams, living positively and not being bound by marriage.

The independent lifestyle somewhat affects the taste of female audiences for art. They want to see older, mature women who have mature thoughts and behaviors and do not depend on others."./.

Ha Trang (According to Tuoi Tre)

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