Itaewon Class: K-Drama Spotlights Social Issues
“In a colorful Seoul neighborhood, an ex-con and his friends fight a mighty foe to make their ambitious dreams for their street bar a reality.”
Itaewon Class (Netflix)
This K-drama was my introduction to Park Seo-Jun. If you read no further—his name alone should tell you it’s worth watching. I was definitely mesmerized from the start even though Park Sae-Ro-yi(Seo-Jun) isn’t your typical lead character. Honestly, it was initially hard for me to see past his haircut, but it grew on me. I’m glad this dramatic role is the first thing I’d seen Seo-Jun in. When I watched some of his earlier work what a pleasant surprise it was to see the range this actor has.
“There are many reasons why I chose [Itaewon Class]. I wanted to make a change in terms of genre. I saw this work as ‘Park Sae-Roi’s growing up’. It is a work that contains elements of various genres, but I thought that the growth of Park Sae-Roy was the most important. Another is, ‘Will I be persuaded when I put out this character’s beliefs? Do I think Sae-Roi Park is right?’ I thought about what kind of impact it would have on society.”
Itaewon Class is a more serious K-drama but it’s not without its humorous moments. I like the fact this K-drama is willing to take on social issues such as discrimination against Black people and the LGBTQ community. Many of the characters are not automatically likable but if you give them time to evolve you’ll find not all plots need to revolve around a prince or princess and there’s much to be learned from regular people.
Class and hierarchy are two themes that seem to be fairly prevalent in K-dramas. How realistic is it for a chaebol to cover for their kids the way Jang Dae-Hee does for his son Jang Geun-Won? Or what about making someone kneel as Dae-Hee is determined to make Sae-Ro-Yi do? One need look no further than the 2014 “nut-rage” case involving Cho Hyun-ah, the daughter of then Korean Air chairman and CEO, who demanded a flight attendant kneel before her for serving macadamia nuts in its original package (the standard protocol) and not a bowl in first class. Hyun-ah fired him on the spot. CNN recently spotlighted several incidents where chaebols and/or their families have used their position to demean employees.
I’ve yet to watch a K-drama where high school is part of the storyline and not see bullying. This is actually the beginning of Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s story when he challenges Geun-Won. As we’re hearing in recent headlines, it appears this too is a known issue in Korea.
I was so happy to see Chris Lyon’s character, Kim To-ni. Lyon is Black, from America, and his character puts a spotlight on the issue of racism in Korea. I can especially relate to one of Kim To-ni’s storylines but you’ll have to figure out which one from watching otherwise it’d be a spoiler. Chris inspires me when it comes to learning Korean as he appears to be fluent.
Itaewon is definitely one of my destination points when I go to S. Korea. Also, do yourself a favor and add Gaho’s Start to your playlist on Spotify. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics it’s a song that makes you want to raise your fist in the air. Kinda like I did when I used it as my walk-up song when I went to vote in November. V’s (Kim Tae-Hyung) Sweet Night (단밤) from IC’s OST is really beautiful and another one to add to your playlist. When a friend sent me the YouTube video link, just listening made me emotional. I don’t even know why. It’s featured twice in Itaewon Class and really sets the tone for both scenes.
Itaewon Class is a good series to recommend to new K-drama watchers.
What actor from another popular 2020 K-drama has a cameo?
Do you recognize Bok-Hui's mother from another top 2020 K-drama?
What other K-drama are Park Seo-Jun and Yoo Jae-Myung in together?
In-depth interview with Park Seo-Jun in Esquire after he finished filming Itaewon Class is worth the read.
Released: 2020, Episodes: 16
Cast: Park Seo-Jun (Park Sae-Ro-yi), Kim Da-Mi (Jo Yi-Seo), Kwon Na-Ra (Oh Soo-A), Yoo Jae-Myung (Jang Dae-Hee), Ahn Bo-Hyun (Jang Geun-Won), Ryoo Kyung-Soo (Choi Seung-Kwon), Lee Joo-Young (Ma Hyun-Yi), Kim Dong-Hee (Jang Geun-Soo), Chris Lyon (Kim To-Ni), FULL CAST
[Update 12/5/23] SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t watched this drama—what are you waiting for? Also, you may want to stop here and come back because you should learn what happens as you watch, not as you read.
I’ve rewatched Itaewon Class several times. I’m not keeping count but the fact I keep coming back speaks to the strength of the drama. As I was re-reading this blog post I couldn’t help but notice the quote from Park Seo-Jun as to why he chose to do this drama. Having seen most (if not all) of his dramas and several of his movies I think this is not only his best role but will also be the one that has the most impact on society—one of the reasons he mentioned he did Itaewon Class. From what I can tell from seeing him on Youn’s Kitchen 2, Youn’s Stay, In the Soop: Friendcation, and Jinny’s Kitchen, Park Seo-Jun’s character and work ethic is similar to Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s. It’s one reason why I admire him so much.
This was my go-to sleep drama for the past few weeks. The other night I kept resetting my TV timer because I was too interested to be able to fall asleep. And this morning I watched the second half of the finale before I started my day because I wanted to give it my full attention. Of course, I already knew what was going to happen but that’s how good this drama is.
At some point, Itaewon Class will probably become dated but as of the end of 2023, it feels very relevant. For anyone who’s looking for a K-drama that is deeper fare—this is that drama.
Because I was relatively new to K-dramas the first time I saw IC it was pretty much my introduction to all the actors. Ahn Bo-Hyun’s Jang Geun-Won is both detestable and pitiable. With a father like Jang Dae-Hee why would he have turned out any other way than he did? I was reminded how much I despised Dae-Hee because I don’t think I’ve seen Yoo Jae-Myung in a bad-guy role since IC. Those two actors and the characters they portray in this drama are a perfect example of why one-season dramas are a good thing. If this had been the West they may never have been cast in these roles given their polar opposite roles in Strong Girl Bong-Soon, Vincenzo, Her Private Life, or See You in My 19th Life.
On the flip side was the beautiful father-son relationship with Sae-Ro-Yi and his dad. My kids were so mad when they killed off Mr. Park. The scenes they brought him back for when Sae-Ro-Yi was unconscious and fighting for his life were some of the most poignant as it gave Sae-Ro-Yi a chance to reflect on how his life had gone and how he’d changed since his father died.
Oh Soo-A and Jo Yi-Seo were well-portrayed by Kwon Na-Ra and Kim Da-Mi. Yi-Seo grew on me just like she did Sae-ro-Yi. I thought the storyline between the three of them was well-balanced and added both humor and insight into their characters. I’m not sure if I believe Soo-A would have done all the things she was asked to do at Janga Co. given her friendship with Sae-Ro-Yi and his dad, but she did redeem herself in the end. I like the fact that romance didn’t dominate the overall storyline. But the way Sae-Ro-Yi finally realizes it’s Yi-Seo whom he loves is so beautifully and emotionally portrayed.
I was very moved when Kim To-Ni (Chris Lyon) was talking with his grandmother after they discovered his dad was her son. The character of To-ni isn’t adopted but the story of him searching for his father plays out similar to that of a K-adoptee. The fact they included the issue of racism against Black people both from his grandmother and at a club in Itaewon will hopefully have a positive impact on Korean society.
Lee Joo-Young’s Ma Hyun-Yi’s transgendered character made the LGBTQIA+ community a bit more visible in Korea. If someone as popular as Park Seo-Jun is willing to do dramas with social justice-type storylines it’s another way IC can have a positive impact on society.
My one criticism of IC would be the character of Jang Geun-Soo (portrayed by Kim Dong-Hee). I loved Geun-Soo until they flipped him out of the blue and sent him to Janga Co. It wasn’t Dong-Hee’s fault, it was the storyline. Having an unreciprocated crush on Yi-Seo was not enough to change this sweet young man into his evil father’s successor. I found the reason unbelievable. I don’t think the character we saw would’ve outed Ma Hyun-Yi without a better reason. I don’t mind if they turn someone to the dark side, it just needs to be believable. The lack of development for this character’s storyline arc was disappointing.
I did enjoy Ryu Kyung-Soo’s character Choi Seung-Kwon. I loved how we saw his character change from a jaded criminal to someone who believed in himself and changed his life when given the chance. Humorous, empathetic, heartwarming, open-minded, loyal—and perfectly imperfect.
All my favorite K-dramas have a great ensemble cast. Itaewon Class is no different.
This is another K-drama that I’ve now been able to visit some of the famous location sites. In July 2022 I found the first Dan Bam but went right by the bridge where we see Namsan Tower without even realizing it. My kids and I enjoyed exploring Itaewon and as I watched this last time I recognized the Hamilton Hotel where Park Sae-Ro-Yi came out of the subway on Halloween night. Because Itaewon Class has that famous Halloween scene when Sae-Ro-Yi meets up with Soo-A the party atmosphere of that night feels familiar to anyone who’s watched the drama. It’s a main junction that we found ourselves at many times in the summer. When news of the horrible tragedy came through various newsfeeds last year we knew exactly where all those young people lost their lives. When I went back to Korea six weeks after the tragedy it was surreal revisiting those sights we’d been to just a few months prior.
On a lighter note, one of the nights when I was trying to find Dan Bam it wouldn’t come up on Naver maps for me. As hard as I tried to remember I could not locate it. I ended up FaceTiming Taylor in Atlanta and she was able to guide me right to the place. Turns out the name had to be changed just slightly so I think that’s why it wasn’t showing on Naver. Meanwhile, maybe Taylor should consider becoming a virtual guide in Korea. She could do it remotely from Atlanta!
I’ll include a photo gallery of the pics in Itaewon below.
Comments
I’d be curious to hear what others have to say about Itaewon Class. Have you seen it, did you like it, would you recommend others to watch it? Let me know in the comments below!
ITAEWON PHOTOS
