Bechdel Day 2025

Bechdel Day
Bechdel Day
Native name	벡델데이 2025
Sponsored by	Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Korean Film Council
Date	September 6–7, 2025
Venue	KU Cinematheque, Seoul
Country	South Korea
Currently held by	Directors Guild of Korea (DGK)
	← 2024 · Bechdel Day · 2026 →

Bechdel Day 2025 (Korean: 벡델데이 2025) was held on September 6–7, 2025 (2025-09-06 – 2025-09-07) at the KU Cinematheque in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. It marked the sixth edition of Bechdel Day, an annual South Korean awards ceremony and event hosted by the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) and by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council. Established in 2020, the event evaluates and honors gender equality in South Korean film and television, utilizing the Bechdel test alongside expanded criteria.

Program

The event featured special talks, screenings, and Q&A sessions.

Meeting with Bechdelians

On Saturday, September 6, the "Meeting with Bechdelians" session featured selected honorees, including director Lee Mi-rang, producer Lee Anna, writer Kim Su-yeon, director Jung Ji-in, and producer Shin Hye-mi. They discussed female characters who secure their own stakes in genres and narratives, as well as gender equality within storytelling. That same day, a screening of The Fruit of the Abysswas followed by a talk titled "One and Only! Actress Lee Hye-young: Expanding the Boundaries of Female Actors," featuring director Min Kyu-dong and actress Lee Hye-young, who discussed the film and the actress's career achievements. A special screening of About My Daughter was also held that evening.

Special screening

On Sunday, September 7, a screening of Victory, selected for Bechdel Choice 10, was followed by a Q&A session with director Park Beom-su and actress Park Se-wan, moderated by director Jung Ga-young. Additionally, a special screening of Minimal Goodness took place that evening.

Bechdel Talk: Freedom of the Body: Awakening the Suppressed Desires and Challenges of Women

Another session addressed gender equality in popular television variety programs such as Street Woman Fighter, The Crazy Girls, and Iron Girls. Producer Kwon Hyung-gu and actress Lee Young-jin of SBS's The Crazy Girls, alongside producer Jung Kyung-wook of Mnet's Street Woman Fighter, discussed gender equality and competitive spirit in media under the theme "Freedom of the Body: Awakening the Suppressed Desires and Challenges of Women."

Winners

Judging

On August 5, 2025, the DGK announced the "Bechdel Choice 10" film selections, choosing 10 films out of 125 released in theaters or as OTT originals between June of the previous year and May of the current year. The film section jury included film producer Koo Jung-ah (CEO of But Media), director Min Yong-geun, Cineplay reporter Sung Chan-eul, and Bechdel Day programmer Lee Hwa-jeong.

On August 12, 2025, the DGK announced the "Bechdel Choice 10" series selections. This category reviewed 102 television and OTT titles released across broadcast, general programming, cable, and streaming platforms from June 2024 to May 2025. The series category judges included TV columnist Kim Gyo-seok, Professor Kim Min-jeong of the Department of Creative Writing at Chung-Ang University, Cineplay reporter Kim Ji-yeon, and Bechdel Day programmer Lee Hwa-jeong.

Bechdel Choice 10

Bechdel Choice 10 of the Year
Film	Series
Dark Nuns Blesser Concerning My Daughter Lucky, Apartment Revolver Victory My Best, Your Least The Old Woman with the Knife High-Five Because I Hate Korea	Good Partner Miss Night and Day A Virtuous Business Unknown Seoul Friendly Rivalry The Tale of Lady Ok When Life Gives You Tangerines Hyper Knife Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born Doubt

Bechdelian

Bechdellian of the Year
Director — Film	Director — Series
Lee Mi-rang – About Her	Jung Ji-in – Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born
Producer — Film	Producer — Series
Lee An-na – Victory, High-Five	Han Seok-won Hwang Ki-yong Shin Hye-mi – A Virtuous Business
Screenwriter — Film	Screenwriter — Series
Kim Soo-yeon – Minimal Goodness	Park Ji-sook – The Tale of Lady Ok
Actress — Film	Actress — Series
Lee Hye-young – The Old Woman with the Knife	Park Bo-young – Unknown Seoul

References

↑ Park, Ji-yoon (August 31, 2025). [TF프리즘] 양성평등 가치 실현에 주목…벡델데이를 아시나요? [[TF Prism] Focusing on the Realization of Gender Equality Values… Do You Know Bechdel Day?]. The Fact (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
1 2 3 Kim, Ji-yeon (August 27, 2025). 성평등 놀이터로 초대합니다! 벡델데이 2025를 기다리며 [We invite you to the Gender Equality Playground! Awaiting Bechdel Day 2025]. Cineplay (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
1 2 Kim, Ji-yeon (August 29, 2025). [인터뷰] ‘벡델데이 2025’ 올해의 벡델리안! 대중성과 작품성, 평등의 가치를 동시에 잡아낸 '옥씨부인전' 박지숙 작가 [[Interview] 'Bechdel Day 2025' Bechdelian of the Year! Park Ji-sook, Author of 'The Tale of Lady Ok,' Who Captured Popularity, Artistic Merit, and the Value of Equality]. Cineplay (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 6, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
↑ Seo, Jeong-sun (August 6, 2025). 올해의 성평등 한국영화...‘2025 벡델 초이스 10’ [Gender-equal Korean films of the year... '2025 Bechdel Choice 10']. Women News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
↑ Moon, Ji-yeon (August 12, 2025). 올해의 양성평등 드라마..벡델데이, '미지의 서울'·'정년이'·'폭싹 속았수다' 등 10편 선정 [This Year's Gender Equality Dramas... Bechdel Day Selects 10 Titles Including 'Unknown Seoul', 'Jeongnyeoni', and 'Tangerine']. Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved August 5, 2026.
1 2 Park, Jin-hai (September 3, 2025). "Bechdel Day 2025 celebrates K-dramas, films that rewrite rules for female characters - The Korea Times". Korea Times. Retrieved July 26, 2026.

[1] Park, Ji-yoon (August 31, 2025). [TF프리즘] 양성평등 가치 실현에 주목…벡델데이를 아시나요? [[TF Prism] Focusing on the Realization of Gender Equality Values… Do You Know Bechdel Day?]. The Fact (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.

[:0-2] 1 2 3 Kim, Ji-yeon (August 27, 2025). 성평등 놀이터로 초대합니다! 벡델데이 2025를 기다리며 [We invite you to the Gender Equality Playground! Awaiting Bechdel Day 2025]. Cineplay (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.

[:1-3] 1 2 Kim, Ji-yeon (August 29, 2025). [인터뷰] ‘벡델데이 2025’ 올해의 벡델리안! 대중성과 작품성, 평등의 가치를 동시에 잡아낸 '옥씨부인전' 박지숙 작가 [[Interview] 'Bechdel Day 2025' Bechdelian of the Year! Park Ji-sook, Author of 'The Tale of Lady Ok,' Who Captured Popularity, Artistic Merit, and the Value of Equality]. Cineplay (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 6, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.

[4] Seo, Jeong-sun (August 6, 2025). 올해의 성평등 한국영화...‘2025 벡델 초이스 10’ [Gender-equal Korean films of the year... '2025 Bechdel Choice 10']. Women News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.

[5] Moon, Ji-yeon (August 12, 2025). 올해의 양성평등 드라마..벡델데이, '미지의 서울'·'정년이'·'폭싹 속았수다' 등 10편 선정 [This Year's Gender Equality Dramas... Bechdel Day Selects 10 Titles Including 'Unknown Seoul', 'Jeongnyeoni', and 'Tangerine']. Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved August 5, 2026.

[Bechdel2025-6] 1 2 Park, Jin-hai (September 3, 2025). "Bechdel Day 2025 celebrates K-dramas, films that rewrite rules for female characters - The Korea Times". Korea Times. Retrieved July 26, 2026.