In the tvN Saturday-Sunday drama 'Queen of Tears,' which aired its first episode on the 9th, they received praise for breaking stereotypes by reversing the typical drama setup of a rich male and an ordinary female protagonist.

The drama follows the journey of Kim Ji Won, the heir to the Queens Group, played by Kim Ji Won, and Kim Soo hyun, played by Kim Soo Hyun, the legal team manager from a rural village, as they overcome a marital crisis. 

Kim Ji Won, who hides her identity and joins Queens Department Store as an intern, falls for her colleague Kim Soo Hyun, who helped her, and uses a helicopter to pursue Kim Soo Hyun, who runs away to his hometown after discovering she is the heir of Queens Group, eventually leading to their marriage. However, three years later, Kim Soo Hyun decides to divorce after enduring harsh life with his in-laws.

Notably, Kim Soo Hyun's life with his in-laws was portrayed in a similar vein to the traditionally depicted hardships of daughters-in-law, eliciting laughter. A scene where the sons-in-law of the Queens family gather in the kitchen to prepare food for a memorial service, complaining, "Why do we have to prepare the Hong family's memorial service?" is exemplary. 

Scenes where the in-laws, including the chairman of the Queens Group played by Kim Kap-soo, pressure Kim Soo Hyun, their grandson-in-law, to "have a child soon" are also highlighted. Kim Kap-soo even decides on the child's name, insisting it should carry the Hong surname, without the couple's consent.

Viewers have poured out reactions, finding the reversal of traditional gender roles refreshing. The scene of the Queens Group sons-in-law preparing for the memorial service went viral on the SNS platform X (formerly Twitter), being reposted over 3,800 times.

Interest has especially heightened as 'Queen of Tears' is written by Park Ji-eun, who also penned tvN's 'Crash Landing on You,' where the protagonist Son Ye-jin was depicted as a chaebol heiress romancing North Korean soldier Hyun Bin. 

With an increase in rich female characters, international media like the BBC have recently commented, "There's no more 'Candy' in K-dramas."

Actress Han Ji-min, preparing for the drama 'Between Salutations,' also shared in a recent YouTube video, "Previously, dramas featured poor women falling in love with rich men, but nowadays, there are many dramas with 'older women' or rich women," noting, "I feel a shift towards female characters being more progressive and proactive."