Class wars: 10 K-dramas that depict class division and revenge in schools

The classic that helped popularise K-dramas and launch the Hallyu globally, this adaptation stars Lee Min-ho, the arrogant heir to the Shinwha Group, South Korea’s largest conglomerate and the leader of F4, a group of wealthy students who rule their elite high school, the prestigious Shinhwa High School. Koo Hye-sun plays the working-class female lead who stands up to their bullying.

See also: The strategies behind the Hallyu and South Korea’s efforts to win global hearts

Through lavish parties, exotic vacations, and high-stakes family drama, Boys Over Flowers explores themes of class discrimination, true love overcoming social barriers, and standing up against privilege. Its classic “rich-boy-meets-poor-girl” storyline, combined with Lee’s breakthrough performance, established many tropes that define modern K-dramas.

Part of the famous School K-drama franchise, the School 2013 instalment stars Lee Jong-suk and Kim Woo-bin as former best friends from different social backgrounds whose relationship fractures due to class differences. The series earned praise for its realistic portrayal of issues that South Korea's youth faces, such as the corrupt education system, teen suicide, corporal punishment, academy and tutoring culture, career prospects and bullying.

In The Heirs, Lee Min-ho stars as Kim Tan, a chaebol (family-run conglomerate) heir to the Jeguk Group, who falls for Park Shin-hye’s character Cha Eun-sang, the daughter of his family’s housekeeper. Their budding romance faces fierce opposition from Kim Tan’s status-conscious family, who have already arranged his marriage to Rachel Yoo (played by Kim Ji-won), another heiress.

Don’t miss: 8 Lee Min-ho movies and shows you need to watch

Set in the prestigious Jeguk High School, the series expertly portrays the suffocating world of chaebol heirs, where teenagers bear the weight of billion-dollar companies and arranged marriages. Through Cha’s eyes, viewers experience the stark contrast between those who take helicopter rides to school and those who deliver chicken just to make ends meet.

Kim Hyang-gi plays Ho Goo-hee in Revenge Note, a K-drama about a high schooler and self-proclaimed pushover who discovers an app that can exact revenge on on anyone whose name she writes in it. She initially uses it for small revenge acts against school bullies but eventually learns about the consequences of revenge. Though lighter in tone than other entries, it effectively uses its supernatural premise to explore class dynamics and bullying in schools.

Though not strictly a school drama, SKY Castle is a biting satirical series that centres on four ultra-wealthy elite families, their obsession with education, and their ruthless pursuit of getting their children into top universities. The show brilliantly exposes the dark underbelly of South Korea’s competitive education system, where parents hire expensive coordinators, enforce gruelling study schedules, and resort to manipulation to secure their children’s futures, became a cultural phenomenon, achieving the highest ratings in South Korean cable television history at 23.8 per cent.

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Note: ‘SKY’ references South Korea’s top three universities: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University.

Class of Lies follows Gi Moo-hyeok (played by Yoon Kyun-sang), a high-profile lawyer whose life crumbles when he loses a high-profile murder case involving a female student at an elite high school. Determined to uncover the truth, he goes undercover under the name Gi Kang-jae as a substitute teacher at the Chunmyung High School to solve the case and restore his reputation. However, what begins as a personal investigation evolves into something darker as he discovers a web of corruption, violence, and cover-ups involving the school's privileged students and their powerful parents.

Spanning three seasons, The Penthouse: War in Life, revolves around the residents of Hera Palace, a 100-floor luxury apartment complex where South Korea’s most powerful live. At its heart are three women: Shim Su-ryeon (played by Lee Ji-ah), a graceful penthouse resident; Cheon Seo-jin (played by Kim So-yeon), an ambitious opera singer desperate to maintain her status; and Oh Yoon-hee (played by Eugene), a mother from a humble background fighting for her daughter’s future. When a mysterious young girl falls to her death at a party, it sets off a chain of revenge, betrayal, and cutthroat competition, particularly at the exclusive Cheong-ah Arts School where their children study.

See also: ‘The Penthouse’ hangover: 5 similar K-dramas you should watch

The K-drama exposes the lengths these parents go to secure their children’s success, from bribery and manipulation to outright violence. The Penthouse: War in Life broke viewership records, reaching a peak rating of 28.8 per cent in its first season.

Based on a webtoon, this series stars Moon Ga-young as Lim Ju-kyung, a student who masters makeup to overcome bullying at her prestigious high school. While primarily a romantic comedy, the show thoughtfully explores how appearance and social status intersect in Korean school culture. Astro member Cha Eun-woo’s performance as the wealthy male lead Lee Su-ho significantly boosted his acting career.

Revenge thriller K-drama The Glory follows Moon Dong-eun (played by Song Hye-kyo) a former victim of school violence who endured brutal bullying from wealthy students during her high school years. The physical and emotional scars from their torture—including the “hot hair curler bullying”—force her to drop out of school, destroying her dreams. She later becomes a teacher, strategically positioning herself to teach the child of her former bully Park Yeon-jin (played by Lim Ji-yeon) to exact revenge on her wealthy tormentors.

Don’t miss: ‘The Glory’: 5 things we know about Song Hye-kyo’s new K-drama

The K-drama broke Netflix’s viewing records and sparked important conversations about bullying and class discrimination in South Korean schools, and garnered massive international success for its unflinching portrayal of school violence and its lasting trauma, and themes of social inequality, the cycle of violence, and systemic corruption.

Jooshin High School is the most prestigious school in South Korea. The school was established by the conglomerate Jooshin Group. Normally, only students who are chosen at birth to attend Jooshin High School are allowed. Those students include Jung Jae-i (played by Roh Jeong-eui), who’s the first daughter of the family that runs Jaeyool Group, Kim Ri-an (Kim Jae-won) who’s the successor of the Jooshin Group, Yoon He-ra (played by Ji Hye-won) who’s the youngest daughter of trading company International Yoon, and Lee Woo-jin (Lee Won-jung) who is second son of a powerful politician family.

Meanwhile, Kang Ha (played by Lee Chae-min), who possesses a pure and innocent smile, is transferred to Jooshin High School. He holds a secret that chips a crack in the indomitable, concrete world of Jooshin High School.

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