Park Seo-joon plays a man who walks out of prison and walks straight back into the same fight he walked in with. That is the engine of Itaewon Class, and it is a strong one.
The show follows Park Sae-ro-yi, an ex-con who kills the son of Jangga Group’s founder after his father dies in an accident. He spends years in jail while the woman he loved, Oh Soo-ah, gets a university scholarship from Jang Dae-hee and rises through the company to become its Strategic Planning Head. After release, Park opens DanBam in Itaewon and sets out to succeed and get back at Jangga Group. He is not clever at managing his business, though, and that weakness drives the whole plot.
Trailer, via Netflix K-Content.
The Cast Anchors the Story
Park Seo-joon carries the weight of the lead role. He plays a man full of anger and desire, and he makes the audience feel both the fire and the fear behind his actions. Kim Da-mi plays Jo Yi-seo, the young woman who helps him manage DanBam, and she brings warmth to a story that could otherwise sit in grim revenge territory. Kwon Na-ra plays Oh Soo-ah, whose path diverges from Park’s in ways that keep the story moving. Yoo Jae-myung plays Jang Dae-hee, the founder, and he grounds the show’s central conflict with a calm presence that makes Park’s anger feel earned.
The supporting cast fills out the world around them. Ahn Bo-hyun plays Jang Geun-won, the son Park tried to kill. Kim Dong-hee, Lee Joo-young, Ryu Kyung-soo, Chris Lyon, Kim Hye-eun, David Lee and Yoon Kyung-ho round out the cast. Each one adds texture to the neighborhood and the company battles that drive the plot.
DanBam and Its Neighborhood
DanBam is the heart of the show. It is a small bar in Itaewon, and it becomes a stand for Park’s dreams. The neighborhood itself is shown as full of life, color and energy, and the show uses it well to show the contrast between Park’s small ambitions and the vast wealth of Jangga Group.
The bar is not just a setting. It is the reason Park fights, the reason he fails, and the reason he finds allies. The show spends time on the daily work of running a small business, and that attention pays off. The struggles of staffing, customers and bills ground the larger fight against the corporation.
Revenge vs. Success
The show balances two goals for its lead character: getting back at Jangga Group and building a successful business. Park pursues both at once, but they often pull him in opposite directions. The tension between those two goals gives the story its shape.
“He wants to be successful and seeks revenge towards Jangga Group.”
That line sums up the whole series. Park is not a simple man seeking vengeance. He wants success too, and the show keeps circling back to that desire even as the revenge plot grows bigger.
Weakness and Failure
Park is not smart at managing his business, and the show does not hide that fact. His failures are part of what makes him human. Watching him struggle with money, staff and customers is far more interesting than watching him win easily.
This weakness also gives the show a moral center. Park’s mistakes cost him and others, and the show does not let him off lightly for them. The failure is not just a device; it is a character trait that shapes how the story ends.
The Webtoon Origin
Itaewon Class is based on a webtoon of the same name. The show is the first series produced by the film distribution company Showbox. That origin matters because it explains why the story feels confident about its source material. The creators know the ground they are working on.
The series aired on JTBC in Korea from January 31 to March 21, 2020, and streams worldwide on Netflix. It ran for 16 episodes across one season.
What Works and What Falls Short
The show is not perfect. Some subplots feel rushed, and the pacing can drag in the middle episodes. The revenge plot sometimes overshadows the business story, which is a shame given how well the business side is written. But the core of the show — Park, his bar, and his fight against the corporation — remains strong throughout.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2020-01-31 |
| 2 | 2020-02-07 |
| 3 | 2020-02-14 |
| 4 | 2020-02-21 |
| 5 | 2020-02-28 |
| 6 | 2020-03-06 |
| 7 | 2020-03-13 |
| 8 | 2020-03-20 |
| 9 | 2020-03-21 |
A Strong Finish
The show ends on a note that honors both its goals. Park gets closer to his revenge, but he also builds something real in the process. The final episode brings the two threads together without resolving them neatly, leaving the audience with a sense of what comes next rather than a clean ending.
That choice fits the tone of the series as a whole. It is a story about a man who will not give up, even when giving up would be easier.
Our Verdict
Itaewon Class is a solid drama with a strong lead performance and a clear vision of its world. The business struggles and the revenge plot both work well, even when they bump up against each other. The show earns its reputation as a standout of its season.
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