8 unconventional K-drama moms who will tug at your heart!

A mother is not always a beacon of selfless love, in fact, sometimes she has to put herself first so she can stay sane and these K-drama moms take the cake when it comes to having an unconventional arc!

‘A mother can replace everything but nothing can replace a mother’ this dialogue which stems from the K-drama Good Bad Mother, defines the fact that our relationship with our moms is arguably the most important one. She is our guide to everything in life and she is the first person we look upto. But often we don’t realize that this is her first time navigating being a mother as well. Motherhood is complicated and full of layers. Not everyone has the same kind of mother and nor does everyone get the quintessential love and relationship that a mother and a child have. K-dramas that we've watched recently have portrayed all kinds of mothers. For instance, adoptive moms who had to unexpectedly step up, single moms who had to navigate life alone, mothers who had to push through financial crunches or the ones who had to learn self-love so they can love their child better.

Also Read: 10 coolest on-screen moms who played the role of a girl best friend we didn’t know we needed!

These K-drama moms highlight the gray areas of motherhood rather authentically!

Jin Young-Soon - Good Bad Mother

Young-Soon was tough on her son on most days and that came from a place of pain over losing her husband. In order for him to have a better future, she always made sure he was studying instead of having a fun childhood like other kids his age. She sometimes even got abusive which was traumatic for her child but when life gives her a second chance to rekindle their relationship, she takes it and makes it super wholesome to watch.

Kim Seon-Hwa - Queen of Tears

We expect our moms to know everything and magically have the answer to every step of life. But sometimes, mother doesn’t know best. Seon-Hwa lost her son when he was really young and since then she used her daughter, Hong Hae-In to blame everything on and take out her pain. It wasn’t that she didn’t love or care about her, she didn't express her love in the most healthy manner. She tended to displace her emotions and was able to do better only much later.

Choi Won-Deok - Start Up

Ever since Seo Dal-Mi’s mother passed away, her grandmother Choi Won-Deok became her sole support system and filled in that void for her. Being a biological mother is one thing but taking on the role of a mom when you aren’t one is truly God’s work. Especially when you step up and give them the same love a mother would.

Nam Haeng-Son - Crash Course in Romance

Speaking of adoptive mothers, Nam Haeng-Son fooled us all about the fact that she isn’t Nam Hae-Yi’s real mother, she was in fact her aunt. She had to give up a flourishing career in volleyball because her sister just took off after leaving her daughter’s responsibilities on her. From then on, she became financially independent and single handedly raised her while giving her access to the best of education.

Han Seo-Jin - Sky Castle

A mother can do anything for her child. But mothers like Han Seo-Jin take this phrase to another level. She was relentless to get her daughter into Seoul Medical School and she didn't leave any stone unturned. This gets to the point where the competition between her and the other mothers of Sky Castle becomes super toxic especially because of the tutor she hires. Ultimately, she resorts to being honest and teaches her daughter to choose the truth over her own future. She portrayed that mothers sometimes learn the lesson the hard way as well.

Dong Baek - When The Camellia Blooms

Dong Baek is a single mom who runs a bar in a small town called Onsang. Because of this she is an outcast and is treated poorly by her female neighbors. But she slowly and steadily finds her voice in that town. Her own mother Jung-Sook left her abusive husband and raised her all by herself and she does the same for her child.

Yu-Ri - Hi Bye Mama

Yu-Ri will make you value and appreciate the many sacrifices our moms make for us. After her own death, life gives her another chance to re-incarnate and go back to her daughter who has grown up thinking her step mom is her real mom. She goes to the moon and back to earn her daughter’s love and their relationship is a tear-jerker indeed.

Kang Ok-Dong - Our Blues

She definitely wasn’t the ideal mother. She became someone’s mistress after Lee Dong-Seok’s father’s death just so that they have a place to stay. She also abused him which scarred him for life and the two had a rather strained relationship until her last few days when both of them find proper closure.

Who are some of our favorite unconventional K-drama moms? Let us know in the comments below!

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