Brave Woman: Do We Avoid or Face It Head-On?

How many times do we turn a blind eye to the small (or large) injustices we face daily - at school, work, or within the family - just to preserve the status quo, whether professional, familial, or social?

And when it bothers us, when we question it, do we have the courage to stop turning away and take action to change the situation? After all, if we don’t do anything, nothing will change.

The Korean film Brave Woman was produced between 2021 and 2022 and stars actress Shin Hye-sun as substitute teacher So Si-min and actor Lee Jun-young as the bullying student Han Soo-kang. The film is based on the webcomic Yongamhan Shimin by Kim Jung-hyun, published from November 27, 2014, to May 20, 2016.

The story follows So Si-min, a former boxing champion turned substitute teacher, who is striving to secure a permanent teaching position. When she witnesses an act of violence, she’s faced with a choice: stay silent to protect her career or stand up for a bullying victim and risk everything.

This isn’t the first drama - film or series - to address bullying in South Korea. It’s a deeply unpleasant issue there, just as it is elsewhere. But since we often consume K-dramas focused on adult romance, bullying doesn’t always get portrayed this clearly and unflinchingly.

One great drama that also explores this theme is A Lesson, which I’ll soon cover in this column. But for now, let’s stay focused on Brave Woman.

When So Si-min is hired at a model school - one that prides itself on having no bullying, at least in public image - she doesn’t realize she’s replacing a teacher who committed suicide due to extreme bullying. Unfortunately, this isn’t just fiction.

Bullying in South Korea is almost a structural issue. It stems from the country’s hierarchical social system, the intense academic pressure students face, and the fear many teachers have of confronting abuse, afraid of repercussions or job loss. According to a 2012 survey by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (yes, over a decade ago - and things have worsened with digital bullying), 1 in 10 students from elementary to high school reported experiencing some form of aggression that year. This has led to alarming rates of suicide among youth due to bullying in schools and other social spaces.

This comedy-tinged drama portrays a harsh Korean reality that many teachers ignore just to keep their jobs - just like So Si-min at the beginning of the story.

But the teacher hides a part of herself: she’s a former boxer who gave up her career after making a difficult decision to help her father - something she deeply regrets.

So Si-min’s dramatic arc centers on this: once, she turned a blind eye for the sake of her family’s well-being. Will she now do the same as a student suffers physically and emotionally in front of her? While all the other adults pretend nothing is happening?

It’s deeply satisfying to watch her grow, reconcile with her younger self, and break free from the school’s toxic hierarchy - whether it’s covert or overt. She reveals who she truly is: a woman tearing down the wall of cowardice and violence.

Through So Si-min’s decision to finally open her eyes - while so many remain paralyzed by fear, privilege, or pure cowardice - others begin to join her, raising their voices against bullying and its perpetrator. Even when he’s left alone in the ring, the bully refuses to let go of his pride and arrogance.

This is not a story of redemption for the villain. As in real life, some people are simply cruel - sociopaths who find pleasure in others’ suffering. And it often takes just one person to stand up against them, to spark change and give victims the chance to be heard, protected, and helped.

The drama leaves us with a clear message: turning a blind eye often makes us part of the problem. It enables the abuse, simply to avoid “trouble” or because “it’s not our problem.”

But when society is sick, it becomes everyone’s problem. And if we all shut our eyes, we become a blind society - with no one left to fight for us. Because if we do nothing, nothing will change.

And you - have you opened your eyes today?