Itaewon Class is a Korean Drama released in the beginning of 2020. This drama is currently available on Netflix with 16 episodes in season 1. Each episode is about 90 minutes but it’s definitely one of the best kdramas that I have watched and enjoyed.
The story begins with Park Sae-Ro-Yi, the main character, and his classmate/rival, Jang Geun Won. On the first day of attending his new high school, Park Sae-Ro-Yi punches Jang Geun Won for bullying another student in class. The bully is the son of CEO Jang Dae Hee, who runs a restaurant business Jagga, where Sae-Ro Yi’s father works. Mr. Jang demands that Sae-Ro Yi apologizes to his dear son, but Sae Ro Yi refuses. Using power and money, Mr. Jang manages to get Sae-Ro Yi expelled from school and his father gets fired from the company. Soon after this incident, the father dies in a motorcycle accident, caused by Jang Guen Won. The real story of Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s way of taking revenge to the Jagga family begins as he opens a restaurant in Itaewon, the most international and diverse city in South Korea. Park Sae-Ro-Yi hires a sociopath, an ex-convict, a transgender, a high school dropout, and a guy of half Korean, half- African descent, and together as a team they come up with ideas to become the best restaurant in Itaewon and take revenge on the Jagga family.
Itaewon class summarized the ongoing social taboos of prejudice against foreigners, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and LGBT community, and the misuse of money and power, really well. I would use Itaewon Class as an example to educate students the importance of these topics and help them understand that it is important to include everyone from all cultures and backgrounds. From transgender to ex-convicts, sociopath, and a man from a different ethnic background, this is our society today and everyone is included.
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