Itaewon Class

Itaewon Class

Itaewon Class (Korean: 이태원 클라쓰) is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi, Yoo Jae-myung, and Kwon Nara. Based on the webtoon of the same name, it is the first series to be produced by the film distribution company Showbox. It aired on JTBC in Korea from January 31 to March 21, 2020, and is streaming worldwide on Netflix. The series won Best Drama Series at the 25th Asian Television Awards.

Synopsis

Itaewon Class

Due to an accident which killed his father, Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon) attempted to kill Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun), the son of Jangga Group's founder, Jang Dae-hee (Yoo Jae-myung). He was jailed and the woman he loved, Oh Soo-ah (Kwon Na-ra), was offered a university scholarship by Jang Dae-hee and later became the Strategic Planning Head of Jangga Group.

After his release from prison, Park Sae-ro-yi opens DanBam in Itaewon. He wants to be successful and seeks revenge towards Jangga Group. However, he is not too smart at managing his business. He then meets Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi).

Cast

Main

• Park Seo-joon as Park Sae-ro-yi

Proprietor of DanBam, a bar-restaurant in Itaewon. In his youth, Sae-ro-yi gets expelled from high school for punching CEO Jang's son Geun-won, who was bullying a classmate, and becomes bereaved when his father is killed by Geun-won's reckless driving. Angered by the loss, he attacks Geun-won, leading to his three-year imprisonment. Following his father's steps, Sae-ro-yi opens his bar-restaurant DanBam in Itaewon seven years after he is released from jail, with the aim of expanding it into a franchise and defeating CEO Jang's food company Jangga Group. In 2020, he becomes the CEO of his company IC Group.

• Kim Da-mi as Jo Yi-seo • Choi Myung-bin as young Yi-seo

Manager of Sae-ro-yi's bar-restaurant DanBam. Yi-seo is a multi-talented and intelligent girl with an IQ of 162. She moved from New York to continue her studies in South Korea. She is also famous on social media as a power blogger and social media internet celebrity. Having a crush on Sae-ro-yi, she offers to become the manager of DanBam. Her lack of empathy and callous behavior has many people believe she is a sociopath, but she does end up caring for her DanBam coworkers. She especially has a breakthrough with Hyeon-yi after initially criticizing her cooking and believing her transgender identity would impede DanBam's business. Despite being declined by Sae-ro-yi, Yi-seo remains by his side as DanBam's manager. In 2020, Yi-seo becomes the CFO of Sae-ro-yi's company IC Group. Eventually, Sae-ro-yi realizes his feelings for Yi-seo and he confesses his love for her.

• Yoo Jae-myung as Jang Dae-hee • Choi Min-young as young Dae-hee

CEO of food company Jangga Group. CEO Jang is a self-made man who, despite the odds, succeeds in turning his once small bar into a large franchise company. In his years of experience leading Jangga, he develops a strong belief in power and authority as a means to achieve his goals. He meets Sae-ro-yi when the latter has a fight with his son Geun-won in high school and expects him to kneel as a submission of his power. However, Sae-ro-yi always resisted kneeling and made his life harder for it. In 2020, he is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and doesn't have much long to live. Unfortunately, his illegal activities under Jangga was exposed and ruined his company. Despite kneeling before Sae-ro-yi for help, Sae-ro-yi absorbed Jangga into his company, leaving Dae-hee with nothing.

• Kwon Nara as Oh Soo-ah • Ok Ye-rin as young Soo-ah

Head of the strategic planning team in Jangga Group; Sae-ro-yi's former classmate and first love. Abandoned by her mother, Soo-ah grew up in an orphanage and became close with Sae-ro-yi's father Sung-yeol. She becomes acquainted with Sae-ro-yi, who has a crush on her. After Sung-yeol's death, she receives a scholarship offer from Jangga Group and soon becomes an employee in the company. Though passionate about her work, she is torn between her allegiance to Jangga and her love for Sae-ro-yi. Due to their conflicts of interests, the two would hold a long term emotional relationship, but never a true romantic one. Eventually, Soo-ah realizes Sae-ro-yi's feelings have changed and the two remain as friends. She later became a whistle blower to the authorities on the crimes that Jangga have committed in the past during her time in the company and later starts her own restaurant.

Production

Itaewon Class

The first script reading took place in August 2019 at JTBC Building in Sangam-dong, Seoul, South Korea.

Park Seo-joon and Yoo Jae-myung had previously worked together in the KBS2 drama's Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.

Original soundtrack

Itaewon Class: Original Soundtrack

The drama's soundtrack is compiled in a four-part album released on March 20, 2020. CDs 1 and 2 contain the drama's theme songs and their instrumental versions, while CDs 3 and 4 contain the drama's musical score. The following lists are the track listings for the online streaming version of the album.

Chart performance

<table><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th>Year</th><th>Peak positions</th><th>Remarks</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>KOR</td></tr><tr><td>"Start Over" (시작) (Gaho)</td><td>2020</td><td>1</td><td>Part 2</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Diamond" (돌덩이) (Ha Hyun-woo (Guckkasten))</td><td>4</td><td>Part 3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"Someday, the Boy" (그때 그 아인) (Kim Feel)</td><td>3</td><td>Part 6</td></tr><tr><td>"Say" (Yoon Mi-rae)</td><td>63</td><td>Part 8</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"No Words" (어떤 말도) (Crush)</td><td>76</td><td>Part 11</td></tr><tr><td>"Sweet Night" (V)</td><td>14</td><td>Part 12</td></tr></tbody></table>

Reception

Itaewon Class

Itaewon Class' final episode recorded a 16.548% nationwide audience share, making it the fifth-highest viewership rating in JTBC, and the 14th highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history, just slightly under Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce). The drama was also praised for its realistic portrayal of subjects such as prejudice and discrimination against foreigners, ex-convicts and LGBT people, as well as the portrayal of misbehaviours by chaebols.

Time Magazine included Itaewon Class on its list of "The 10 Best Korean Dramas to Watch on Netflix". Forbes included the series on its list of "The 13 Best Korean Dramas Of 2020". The Guardian mentioned the drama in an article recommending Korean dramas to watch after finishing Squid Game. Google Trends revealed that the series was the #1 most-searched drama/entertainment program of (/wiki/2020intelevision), and the fourth most searched domestic search term of 2020 in South Korea.

Viewership

Ep.	Original broadcast date	Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)
Nationwide	Seoul
1	January 31, 2020	4.983%	5.283%
2	February 1, 2020	5.330%	5.634%
3	February 7, 2020	8.013%	8.253%
4	February 8, 2020	9.382%	10.692%
5	February 14, 2020	10.716%	11.986%
6	February 15, 2020	11.608%	12.636%
7	February 21, 2020	12.289%	13.215%
8	February 22, 2020	12.562%	13.990%
9	February 28, 2020	13.965%	14.903%
10	February 29, 2020	14.760%	16.160%
11	March 6, 2020	13.798%	15.496%
12	March 7, 2020	13.398%	14.817%
13	March 13, 2020	13.101%	14.344%
14	March 14, 2020	14.197%	15.568%
15	March 20, 2020	14.661%	16.012%
16	March 21, 2020	16.548%	18.328%
Average	11.832%	12.957%

Awards and nominations

Itaewon Class

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Award</th><th>Category</th><th>Recipient</th><th>Result</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2020</td><td>56th Baeksang Arts Awards</td><td>Best Director (TV)</td><td>Kim Seong-yoon</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Best Actor (TV)</td><td>Park Seo-joon</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Supporting Actor (TV)</td><td>Yoo Jae-myung</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Supporting Actress (TV)</td><td>Kwon Nara</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best New Actor (TV)</td><td>Ahn Bo-hyun</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best New Actress (TV)</td><td>Kim Da-mi</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>Technical Award</td><td>Park Sung-il (Music)</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>4th Soribada Best K-Music Awards</td><td>Best Hallyu OST</td><td>Gaho ("Start Over")</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>15th Seoul International Drama Awards</td><td>Best Mini Series - Silver Bird Prize</td><td>Itaewon Class</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards</td><td>Best OST</td><td>Gaho ("Start Over")</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Song of the Year</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td>25th Asian Television Awards</td><td>Best Drama Series</td><td>Itaewon Class</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7th APAN Star Awards</td><td>Grand Prize (Daesang)</td><td>Park Seo-joon</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Drama of the Year</td><td>Itaewon Class</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>Best New Actor</td><td>Ahn Bo-hyun</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best New Actress</td><td>Kim Da-mi</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Popular Star Award, Actress</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Popular Star Award, Actor</td><td>Park Seo-joon</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best OST</td><td>V ("Sweet Night")</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>30th Seoul Music Awards</td><td>OST Award</td><td>Gaho ("Start Over")</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ha Hyun-woo ("Diamond")</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Kim Feel ("Someday, The Boy")</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Korea Communications Commission Broadcasting Awards</td><td>Excellence Award</td><td>Itaewon Class</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

International adaptations

Itaewon Class

• A Japanese drama adaptation, titled Roppongi Class, was aired on July 7, 2022 via TV Asahi. The Main cast was Yurina Hirate, Yuko Araki, Ryoma Takeuchi and Teruyuki Kagawa. • British, Chinese, French, German, Indian, Turkish and Philippine adaptations are in development.