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,[2] 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.[3][4][5] The series won Best Drama Series at the 25th Asian Television Awards.[6][7]
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).
The first script reading took place in August 2019 at JTBC Building in Sangam-dong, Seoul, South Korea.[39]
Park Seo-joon and Yoo Jae-myung had previously worked together in the KBS2 drama's Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.
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.[40][41]
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).[57][58] 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.[59]
Time Magazine included Itaewon Class on its list of "The 10 Best Korean Dramas to Watch on Netflix".[60] Forbes included the series on its list of "The 13 Best Korean Dramas Of 2020".[61] The Guardian mentioned the drama in an article recommending Korean dramas to watch after finishing Squid Game.[62] Google Trends revealed that the series was the #1 most-searched drama/entertainment program of 2020, and the fourth most searched domestic search term of 2020 in South Korea.[63][64]