The Princess' Man --- SeRyung ... the best female lead, not the kick-ass kind, but the type w/ Inner Strength , Independence, Determination and Integrity .... knows when to fight for what's important in life <3
Queen Seon Duk --- Mishil the villainess <3 ...I know the queen is strong, but this villainess is original .... she's evil and doesn't give excuses; besides she is more clever and tough than anyone around her <3
Empress Ki --- If she wasn't smart & strong, she wouldn't have become empress!
Bu Bu Jing Xin aka Scarle Heart--- RuoXi .... with that clever mind and loving heart she conquered all the princes , what a woman! ..... C-drama, try them, they have some of most wonderful female characters.
Since they are all historicals, I will add this:
East of Eden --- Almost All the women are strong ... many have flaws, but still admirable in their own right! .... there maybe a few contemporary dramas of last few years I have not seen, but this show has the most amazing females ... the way that each overcame her own flaws to surpass obstacles/circumstances is something worth watching! ... ---> Gook-Ja , Ji-Heon , Dong-Cheol's mother , Dong-Cheol's aunt , Janice , even vindictive Rebecca , and a few more ---> All these women are survivors !