Cover Elite high schools in K-dramas are on a whole other level. (Photo: Netflix)
Elite high schools in K-dramas are on a whole other level. (Photo: Netflix)
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From Ferraris to private hospital floors, these K-drama high schools show the ultimate in wealth and ambition
South Korea’s most addictive K-dramas don’t just deliver gripping plots and stylish leads—they also showcase some of the most over-the-top high schools you’ll ever see. From racetrack break-ups in Hierarchy to private hospital study floors in Friendly Rivalry, these campuses are less about ordinary education and more about training the next generation of power players. Lavish facilities, rigid hierarchies and sky-high expectations create a heady mix of privilege and pressure where scholarship students fight to survive, romances resemble mergers and the stakes are far higher than grades alone.
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‘Hierarchy’
Above In the K-drama, the 0.01 per cent of South Korea’s elite sends their kids to Jooshin High School.
Jooshin High School is where the 0.01 per cent of South Korea’s wealthy elite sends their kids to receive the best education in the country. Here, break-ups play out in a Ferrari and Lamborghini zooming around a real racetrack. Classrooms resemble futuristic dungeons and extracurricular activities range from ballet and harp to fencing and American football. The school motto may be noblesse oblige, but the cut-throat culture within is anything but. It’s defined by a rigid hierarchy—with exclusive classes for the most privileged, special treatment for a select few and an open disdain for scholarship kids.
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‘Friendly Rivalry’
Above Lee Hye-ri plays Je-i, Chaehwa Girls’ High School’s queen bee.
In the K-drama, only the smartest and brightest—and those in the top one per cent of society—are admitted into Chaehwa Girls’ High School, the most prestigious private school in Korea. With 117 years of tradition, Chaehwa boasts an outdoor amphitheatre and a fully equipped medical lab, while study groups meet on a private hospital floor where everything from oxygen levels to temperature is optimised for learning. Yet the punishing curriculum and sky-high expectations push students to breaking point, driving many to dangerous shortcuts just to stay ahead.
‘Inheritors / ‘The Heirs’
Above Think ‘Gossip Girl’ but make it K-drama.
In Inheritors, children of the ultra-rich and powerful go to Jeguk High School. Less an academic institution than a training ground for future chaebol heirs, the school is segregated into social classes—the heirs by blood, the future leaders (doctors, lawyers, politicians) and a handful of scholarship students. Romantic relationships in Jeguk High School function more like business mergers, and crossing the class divide isn’t merely frowned upon; it carries serious consequences.
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‘Bitch x Rich’
Above In the K-drama, silver-spoon kids are sent to Chungdam International High School.
Chungdam International High School, where South Korea’s wealthy and influential are educated, boasts an impressive campus. Students practise their swings in a state-of-the-art indoor golf simulator, play squash in pristine indoor courts and swim laps in an Olympic-size pool. But beneath the glossy façade lurk secret cliques, bullying, blackmail and even murder.
‘Boys Over Flowers’
Above K-drama chaebol families have been sending their kids to elite high schools from as far back as the K-drama ‘Boys Over Flowers’.
Shinhwa High School, a private institution founded and run by Korea’s most powerful conglomerate, caters exclusively to the children of the country’s wealthiest families. Its sprawling campus rivals a luxury resort, complete with equestrian facilities, designer-filled corridors and exclusive lounges. At the top of its rigid social hierarchy sits the infamous F4—a quartet of ultra-rich heirs who rule the school through privilege and intimidation.
Maggie Adan is a content writer, editor, and strategist with extensive experience across print, digital, and social media publishing. Formerly editor-in-chief at K-Zone Philippines, Summit Books and Content Lab, she has written lifestyle stories covering everything from entertainment and travel to beauty and wellness. A storyteller at heart with a keen editorial eye and a passion for narrative, she contributes to various publications and helps brands create and curate content for their social media platforms.
