Itaewon class is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi, Yoo Jae-myung and Kwon Nara.
Synopsis
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).
Main Cast
- 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
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 mediainternet 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. Despite being declined by Sae-ro-yi, Yi-seo remains by his side as his manager and work partner while still maintaining feelings for him. In 2020, Yi-seo becomes the CFO of Sae-ro-yi’s company IC Group. Eventually, Saeroyi realizes his feelings for Yi-Seo and he confesses his love for her.
- Yoo Jae-myung as Jang 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, Saeroryi 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
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 Saeroyi’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.
Supporting Cast
DanBam staff
- Kim Dong-hee as Jang Geun-soo
CEO Jang’s second and illegitimate son; Yi-seo’s classmate and staff member at DanBam. Geun-soo has been bullied by his older brother Geun-won and he never felt loved by his parents. Upon turning 17, he left the Jang family and lived by himself from then on. After inconveniencing DanBam in an incident, he decides to work for Sae-ro-yi, whom he considers to be a “real adult.” He has a crush on Yi-seo. However, after leaving DanBam, Geun-soo chooses to work at his father’s company to become the successor for Jangga Group. In 2020, he is the director of Jangga Group.
- Ryu Kyung-soo as Choi Seung-kwon
Staff member at DanBam. Seung-kwon was Sae-ro-yi’s cellmate in prison.Believing that he cannot better his life outside of jail, he became a gangster under a gang leader upon his release. Seven years later, he meets Sae-ro-yi who, to his surprise, had already opened a bar in Itaewon. Deeply respecting Sae-ro-yi and his way to live a better life, he gives up being a gangster and starts working at DanBam. In 2020, he becomes one of the directors of Sae-ro-yi’s company IC Group.
- Lee Joo-young as Ma Hyeon-yi
DanBam’s chief cook. Hyun-yi first met Sae-ro-yi in a factory where the two formerly worked, years before the start of DanBam.She was hired as DanBam’s cook when Sae-ro-yi liked the food she once cooked for him back then. Hyun-yi is a transgender womanand has been saving money for her sex reassignment surgery. In 2020, she becomes one of the directors of Sae-ro-yi’s company IC Group.
- Chris Lyon as Kim To-ni
DamBam’s Guinean-Koreanpart-timer. Even though he cannot speak and understand English, To-ni is fluent in speaking Korean, owing to his Korean father and his one-year residence in South Korea, and French, the language he speaks in Guinea. Eventually, he is able to learn and speak a satisfactory amount of English.
Jangga Group
- Ahn Bo-hyun as Jang Geun-won
CEO Jang’s first son and heir to Jangga Group. Geun-won was Sae-ro-yi and Soo-ah’s classmate in high school who frequently bullied their classmate Ho-jin. He caused the vehicular accident that killed Sae-ro-yi’s father Sung-yeol. Years later when he attempts to recruit Yi-seo into Jangga, his confession to the crime is recorded by her and he attacks her until Sae-ro-yi intervenes and gets him arrested. Dae-hee deserts Geun-won by admitting his son’s crimes during his apology meeting and getting him sent to prison. In 2020, he is released and alongside Kim Hee-hon and his gang, Geun-won plans to get revenge on Yi-seo.
- Kim Hye-eun as Kang Min-jung
Jangga Group’s executive director, who secretly plots to usurp CEO Jang. She is a close friend of Park Sung-yeol, Park Sae-ro-yi father.
- Hong Seo-joon as Mr. Kim
Jang Dae-hee’s right-hand man. He is very loyal to his boss.
- Yoo Da-mi as Kim Sun-ae
Jang Dae-hee’s secretary and Kang Min-jung’s spy.
For more information on
Name: Itaewon class
Episodes: 16
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 70 minutes
Language: Korean
