# Itaewon Class (2020)

> An ex-convict and his friends fight a powerful conglomerate to turn their ambitious street bar in colorful Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood into reality.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/81167

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 69 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Cho Kwang-jin
- Network: JTBC
- Cast: Park Seo-jun, Kim Da-mi, Kwon Na-ra, Yoo Jae-myung, Ahn Bo-hyun, Kim Dong-hee, Ahn Sol-bin, Lee Joo-young
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11239552/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: hopeful, determined, cathartic, warm, tense

## What critics say

Audiences broadly praised Itaewon Class as an addictive, well-cast revenge underdog story with a strong lead performance and an energetic restaurant-business plot.

## Synopsis

Itaewon Class (2020) is a South Korean drama series created by Cho Kwang-jin for JTBC. Set in the colorful Seoul neighborhood of Itaewon, it follows Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-jun), an ex-convict who wants to turn a modest street bar into a thriving business, while his loyal friends, including Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi) and Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun), pool their skills to make the dream real. Standing in their way is a powerful and ruthless conglomerate whose leader becomes a personal foe, so every episode pushes the crew through scheming rivals, bruising confrontations, and the sacrifices of building something from nothing. The series is a single sixteen-episode season of serialized storytelling, with the momentum of a revenge arc driving each chapter forward. Its setting is a lively, neon-tinged urban neighborhood where food, music, and nightlife give way to quieter moments of loyalty and romance. The tone blends hopeful determination with sharp, cathartic payoffs and an unbending sense of conviction. Viewers who enjoy underdog stories and street-level ambition in the vein of Vincenzo and Mr. Sunshine will find resonance here, with a romantic thread running through the crew's struggle.

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