Itaewon Class

After hitting Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun), the son of a powerful leader who was bullying a classmate, Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon) is expelled from high school. His life is turned upside down forever when his father dies and he ends up in prison. Refusing to abandon his principles, Sae-ro-yi sets himself a goal: to succeed in the restaurant business and get his revenge on Jang Dae-hee (Yoo Jae-myung) and his powerful band, Jangga.

Years later, he opens the DanBam pub in Itaewon, around which a group of misfits with very different backgrounds begins to form. He is joined, in particular, by Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi), a brilliant and formidable young woman who becomes the pub’s manager, while Oh Soo-ah (Kwon Na-ra), his first love, works for his main rival. Amidst entrepreneurship, revenge, loyalty, discrimination, ambition, and romance, Sae-ro-yi tries to turn his small establishment into a real success without abandoning the values he inherited from his father.

Impact and Success

Itaewon Class has seen a sharp increase in viewership in South Korea: starting in 4,983 % Nationwide, the series had already surpassed 10 % by its fifth episode and reached 14,760 % Episode 10. Its international release on Netflix starting in March 2020 also helped expand its audience beyond Korea.

The drama significantly boosted the profiles of Kim Da-mi and Ahn Bo-hyun, while establishing itself as one of Park Seo-joon’s most iconic roles. Its influence has also extended beyond the original series: a Japanese adaptation, Roppongi Class, aired in 2022, and other adaptations were subsequently developed.