K-Drama Ajummas That Grew Close to Our Hearts
For sure, you have your favorite Korean celebrities that lead on K-Dramas that you’ve loved. From there, you probably started following their social media accounts and look forward to their next project. The cycle continues as we see more series and grow fond of the main cast. At the same time, we notice and appreciate the supporting characters, particularly the ajummas that played pivotal roles in the success of each K-Dramas that we’ve seen. They may not be the lead but their acting prowess cannot be unnoticed and their characters are impossible to forget.
Ajumma comes from the Korean word ajumeoni which means middle-aged woman or madam. If you’re a K-Drama fan, of course, you knew about it. We all have our favorite ajumma in mind and here, I’ve listed down exemplary actresses that we often see and who grew close to our hearts.
Kim Mi-kyung
Kim Mi-kyung is doing several dramas every year so it’s impossible for us not to see her in a show we’ll watch. She’s done so many roles and those that have stuck with me are her portrayal of the lead characters’ mothers. From being Park Shin-hye’s deaf eomma in The Heirs, Jang Na-ra’s mom who had passed in Go Back Couple, and a grieving mother in Hi Bye Mama. She managed to play these roles as an ajumma who we want to have in our lives.
Kim Sun-young
Kim Sun-young doesn’t always portray a likable character but this way, we were able to see her capability to do any role. May it be as a protagonist or the opposite, there’s no question how great of an actress she is. Along with different characters, we’ve seen her with a variety of looks and even accents. I’m amazed how she can transform into the most attractive ajumma, then into the simplest housewife you’d know like her role in Reply 1988 as Sun-Woo and Jin-Joo’s mom.
Kim Hae-sook
Kim Hae-sook got a long list of movies and series under her name beginning in the 90s. We all have seen her countless times including on K-Dramas released during the height of the pandemic. On Start-Up, she played a very important role that connects Seo Dal-mi and Han Ji-Pyeong. She was also on the Hospital Playlist as Ahn Jeong-won’s supportive mom. No wonder she was named as ‘national mother.’
Lee Il-hwa
If you’re a fan of Shin Won-ho’s Reply series, you already know that Lee Il-hwa played the mother in all three of them. Through this, we’ve seen different versions of a mother’s love, which doesn’t always appear ideal from the point of view of the children. Regardless, it is love and came from a place of concern. I’m telling you, there’s always a thing to learn from our trusted ajummas!
Lee Jung-eun
From being a shaman at Oh My Ghost to Nam Joo-hyuk’s mother in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo, no one can say Lee Jung-eun isn’t a versatile actress. Two of the dramas she’s done this year are Juvenile Justice and Our Blues where she both exhibits her acting prowess. This further proves that there’s literally no role that she can’t effectively play. Can’t wait to see more of her next year!
Feel free to let us know who among these K-Drama ajummas is your ultimate favorite! We’d also love to hear your recommendations in case we missed some names because in this village, your voice matters!
