Itaewon Class is a 2020 South Korean drama starring Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi, Kwon Nara, Ahn Bo-hyun, and Yoo Jae Myung.

“An ex-con and his friends fight to make their ambitious dreams for their street bar a reality.”

This 2-line description does not do justice to the epic storyline of this show, so let’s break it down.

⚠️ Plot/ Spoiler Alert!

Park Sae-ro-yi hits his classmate Jang Geun-won, who was bullying another student, on the first day of attending his new high school. Unfortunately, this bully is the son of CEO Jang Dae-Hee, who owns and operates the famed restaurant Jagga, where Sae-ro-yi's father also works.

The CEO insists that Sae-ro-yi apologise to his son, but he refuses. He is expelled from school, and his father is sacked as a result of his refusal. An accident occurs soon after… Sae-ro-yi's father is killed in a motorcycle accident caused by Geun-won (the bully).

Sae-ro-yi, enraged, brutally beats Geun-won. He is quickly apprehended and sentenced to prison for the vicious assault. Sae-ro-yi swears that he will destroy the Jagga company in order to exact revenge on CEO Dae-Hee and his son Geun-Won for killing his father.

After being released from prison, Sae-Ro-Yi runs a restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul. Jo Yi-Seo, a popular social media personality, joins his business and works as a manager since she has feelings for him.

💭 My Thoughts

The viewers find themselves rooting for the protagonist, having witnessed the struggles he went through. A love triangle, though not the focus, plays a key role in keeping the audience hooked.

Itaewon Class also touches upon subjects like racial discrimination and transgender issues, which are rarely addressed in K-dramas.

I won’t lie and say it’s the perfect drama out there, because I found myself disliking certain aspects of it at times. However, it definitely has a unique plot line, which makes it worth watching!