South Korean dramas are known to make the viewers’ heart-flutter with swoon-worthy love stories. However, many shows feature complicated storylines where sometimes the main character is a walking red flag. Here’s the list of popular K-drama red flags, including Song Kang’s Park Jae-Eon from Nevertheless and Lee Min-Ho’s Gu Jun-Pyo from Boys Over Flowers.
Moreover, Bae Suzy’s Lee Doo-Na in the 2023 series, Doona, can be considered as a red flag. Also, Byeon Woo-Seok’s Ryu Shi-O became one of the the most talked about red flag character in Strong Girl Nam-Soon.
Nevertheless: Song Kang
Nevertheless is a 2021 K-drama, starring Song Kang and Han So-Hee in lead roles. It revolves around two strangers who are complicated when it comes to love. Park Jae-Eon is a reserved person who likes to keep his personal life private. He doesn’t believe in dating but likes to flirt. Meanwhile, Yoo Na-Bi has had a bad experience with her first love and hence doesn’t believe in the concept anymore. However, she wants to distract herself by dating. The two meet at a bar where Jae-Eon becomes intrigued with her name — Na-Bi, which means butterfly.
She, too, finds his butterfly tattoo fascinating. They decide to become friends with benefits but soon their feelings come in between. In the drama, viewers find Jae-Eon a walking red flag. He denied his feelings for Na-Bi but also couldn’t stand when she wanted to move on. Meanwhile, Nevertheless is available to watch on Netflix.
Doona: Bae Suzy
Doona! is a Netflix series that was released in 2023 with only nine episodes. It tells the story of Lee Doo-Na (Bae Suzy), the main vocalist of the K-pop girl group Dream Sweet. She struggles with anxiety and one day, leaves everything to live far away from the limelight. A university student, Lee Won-Joon (Yang Se-Jong), begins to share the building where she lives. Initially, she thinks he is her fan and wants to get closer to her. Eventually, the two create a bond, leading to romantic feelings.
In the K-drama, Doo-Na is considered to be the red flag. While she suffers from loneliness and anxiety, Won-Joon helps her. She accepts his help and even gets physically involved with him. But when her first love, who is also her manager, shows up, she refuses to pay attention to Won-Joon’s requests.
Boys Over Flowers: Lee Min-Ho
Boys Over Flowers is a classic romance high-school K-drama, starring Lee Min-Ho and Gu Hye-Seon in lead roles. On Netflix, the synopsis reads, “Unassuming high school girl Jan-di stands up to — and eventually falls for — a spoiled rich kid who belongs to the school’s most powerful clique.” The elite group, called F4, consists of four rich boys who can make any student’s life miserable if they give a red card. A new student, Jan-Di, somehow ends up at the elite school and becomes their target. F4 leader Joon-Pyo becomes obsessed with her when she stands up against their bullying.
The drama follows the hater-to-lover storyline, including the themes of friendship and love triangles. While it is a whole package, Min-Ho’s character Joon-Pyo comes across as a walking red flag. He is possessive and obsessed with Jan-Di. He treats her poorly and becomes angry when she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings.
Strong Girl Nam-Soon: Byeon Woo-Seok
Strong Girl Nam-Soon is the sequel to Strong Girl Bong-Soon. While the latter was a proper rom-com series, Strong Girl Nam-Soon had a strong villain character. Byeon Woo-Seok plays Ryu Shi-Oh, a drug lord with a traumatic childhood. He is a scary person who doesn’t think twice before killing someone. But he becomes soft when Nam-Soon comes into his life. She reunites with her wealthy family after she returns to South Korea. She and her clan are gifted with superhuman strength and use their wealth to fight against bad guys.
When Shi-Oh gets hold of a drug that makes him stronger and more powerful, Nam-Soon’s family wants it to stop. Meanwhile, Shi-Oh is unaware of Nam-Soon’s background and gets closer to her thinking they can be a powerful pair in the future. His behavior reflects that he is a walking red flag. Watch the drama on Netflix.
While there are many characters with red flags, K-dramas are also known for featuring characters who are green flags that the audiences can root for. This balance is part reason why the fans lean towards the romance genre. Stay tuned for more updates.
