12 Best School K-Dramas You Shouldn’t Miss
What better way to reminisce about our school days than to watch these hit K-dramas?
With the return of school these past few weeks, it’s the best time to re-imagine our youth with a hint of romance, vibrance, and joy. Thinking back to the time where most of our worries only came one day at a time, we can all use a refreshing series or two to remind us of the heartwarming memories made in the corners of our classrooms.
Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye in 'The Heirs' | SBS
If you’re wondering what makes school k-dramas quite unique and cheerful, find out for yourself as you explore from the classics to today’s best and see how characters, storylines, and cinematic atmospheres have evolved over time.
12 Best School K-Dramas You Shouldn’t Miss
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To The Beautiful You (2012)
If you have to start somewhere, you have to start with the classic To The Beautiful You starring the likes of Lee Hyun-woo, Sulli of f(x), Min-ho from SHINEe, Kang Ha Neul, and Kim Ji-won.
Photo Credit: SBS
To The Beautiful You (2012)
Showcasing the famous stars’ humble beginnings, this k-drama follows the story of Koo Jae-Hee (Sulli) as she disguises herself as a man and enrolls in an all-boys school order to help her idol Kang Tae-Joon (Minho) recover from his traumatic injury as a gold medalist in high jump. Things get more complicated as she struggles to keep her true identity a secret, makes new friends, and falls in love.
Photo Credit: SBS
Boys Over Flowers (2009)
Without a doubt, a classic school K-drama choice as it’s the Korean adaptation of the well-loved story of F4. Featuring Lee Min-ho and Kim Bum, the drama features the prestigious and powerful group of boys at school as they follow and bully Geum Jan Di (Gu Hye-Seon), a female student coming from a poor family background who’s attending school on a swimming scholarship.
Photo Credit: KBS
Boys Over Flowers (2009)
As she continues to find herself entangled with the matters of F4, she is faced with challenges of survival, friendship, and romance.
Photo Credit: KBS
School 2013 (2013)
If you’ve ever wondered about the early dramas of Lee Jong-Suk and Kim Woo-Bin, this is the drama to watch! The real-life close friends rose to fame in this very drama where they play angsty teenagers alongside each other.
Photo Credit: KBS
School 2013 (2013)
School 2013 is centered on opening the conversation on the struggles of students such as bullying, mental health, academics, and friendship.
Photo Credit: KBS
The Heirs (2013)
This k-drama tells the story of friendship, romance, and family in the lives of Korea’s richest students. Starring Lee Min Ho as Kim Tan, the heir to a large conglomeration alongside Park Shin Hye as Cha Eun-Sang, the less fortunate daughter of a mute housekeeper of Kim Tan’s household. As they both attend the same prestigious school, Cha Eun-Sang stands as the outsider and faces constant bullying for her financial background.
Photo Credit: SBS
The Heirs (2013)
As the story unfolds, Kim Tan finds himself wanting to protect her and starts to fall in love with her.
Photo Credit: SBS
Love Alarm (2019)
Set in a more futuristic time, this drama is about the life of high school students in a world where Joalarm exists—a mobile app that rings and notifies you if someone within 10 meters has romantic feelings for you. Kim Jo-Jo (Kim So-Hyun) is an orphan who is one of the rare few who decides against downloading the popular app.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Love Alarm (2019)
Watching her from afar are best friends Hwang Sun-Oh (Song Kang) and Lee Hye-Young (Jung Ga-Ram) who both start to fall in love with Jo-Jo and decide to use the Joalarm app to determine her choice between them.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Who Are You: School 2015 (2015)
The bi-yearly series continues with an all-new plot and cast featuring Nam Joo-Hyuk, Kim So-Hyun, and Yook Sung-Jae of BTOB. When Eun-Byeol (Kim So-Hyun), a popular and wealthy student at a private high school in Gangnam, goes mysteriously missing, orphan Lee Eun-Bi who looks exactly like her assumes her identity and takes over her life.
Photo Credit: KBS
Who Are You: School 2015 (2015)
While caught up in Eun-Byeol’s romance with Han Yi-An (Nam Joo Hyuk) and her budding feelings for Kong Tae-Gwang (Yook Sung-Jae), Eun-Bi struggles to find out the truth behind her relationship with Eun-Byeol.
Photo Credit: KBS
Dream High (2011)
Set in Kirin High School of Art, this drama follows the colorful lives of students in their pursuit of stardom. Featuring Kim Soo-Hyun, Bae Suzy, Ham Eun-Jung from T-ARA, and Taecyeon and Wooyoung of 2PM, Dream High shows the many and different origin stories of these aspiring superstars.
Photo Credit: KBS
Dream High (2011)
Depicting rivalry, friendship, and love, this drama is a great choice if you’ve always been wanting an idea on k-idols and their journey to fame.
Photo Credit: KBS
Reply 1997 (2012)
Reply 1997 is about the life of female high school student Shi-Won (Jung Eun-Ji of Apink) and her five friends. In this time and era, Shi-Won worships and idolizes the popular boy band H.O.T while trying to survive her life at school in Busan.
Photo Credit: tvN
Reply 1997 (2012)
Much like the other Reply productions, the story presents all the romantic possibilities of Shi-Won only to reveal her happily-ever-after at the very end.
Photo Credit: tvN
Extraordinary You (2019)
Recently released, the drama is uniquely set in a comic book. Eun Dan-O (Kim Hye-Yoon) is a wealthy student at a prestigious high school who comes into her own as she realizes she is a fictional character. To her dismay, she discovers she’s not the main character, but an extra who doesn’t have much time to live.
Photo Credit: MBC
Extraordinary You (2019)
One day, she decides to defy the storyline written by the comic book writer and starts to change the book in her attempt to become the main character of her own story. Sooner or later, her fiancé Baek Kyung (Lee Jae-Wook) and a nameless student (Ro Woon) follow her and realize that their entire world is only a fantasy.
Photo Credit: MBC
School 2017 (2017)
Part of the Korean anthology series, School 2017 is a coming-of-age story about students struggling to find their place in the world while under the immense pressure of striving for high academic ranks and standings.
Photo Credit: KBS
School 2017 (2017)
Starring Kim Se-Jeong, Jang Dong-Yoon, and Kim Jung Hyun (as you’ve seen on Crash Landing on You), the series is a refreshing take on youth at its most raw and vulnerable when dealing with hardships at home, at school, and in relationships.
Photo Credit: KBS
My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (2019)
Kang Mi-Rae (Lim Soo-Hyang) always had a timid personality due to her "ugly" appearance. She was teased by people and even bullied when she attended school. Now, Mi-Rae is beautiful according to society's standards after undergoing plastic surgery but she still has her timid personality. As Mi-Rae starts her first year at a university, people are still mean to her and call her "Gangnam Beauty" in a derogatory manner.
Photo Credit: JTBC
My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (2019)
Do Kyung-Seok (Cha Eun-Woo) is also a student at Mi-Rae's university and he does not judge people by their appearance. He cares about what's on the inside rather than outside. As time goes by, Kyung-Seok begins to like Kang Mi-Rae.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Reply 1988 (2015)
Directed by Shin Won-Ho and written by Lee Woo-Jung, Reply 1988 stars Hyeri, Ryoo Joon-Yeol, Ko Gyung-Pyo, Park Bo-Gum, and Lee Dong-Hwi. Its story begins in 1988 with Duk-Sun (Hyeri), Jung-Hwan (Ryoo Joon-Yeol), Sun-Woo (Ko Gyung-Pyo) and Dong-Ryong (Lee Dong-Hwi) who are high school students and Taek (Park Bo-Gum), a go player. These five people have been friends since they were little kids.
Photo Credit: tvN
Reply 1988 (2015)
They all grew up together and are neighbors to this day. Their families are also very close to each other. They would always hang around Taek's room and spend time together. This drama series won at the 2016 (52nd) BaekSang Arts Awards for Best Director (Shin Won-Ho) and Best New Actor (Ryoo Joon-Yeol).
Photo Credit: tvN
These school dramas gave some of the pivotal moments in our favorite Korean actors careers! Which is why when we watch (and re-watch) them, we can't help but feel nostalgic, too, for the moments where we met their unforgettable characters such as Lee Min Ho as Gu Jun Pyo and Kim Soo Hyun as Song Sam Dong!
Kim Soo-hyun and Bae Suzy in 'Dream High' | KBS
Lead photos from KBS (Dream High) and tvN (Reply 1988)
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