Korean dramas that tackle the subject of bullying often do so to highlight social issues and create awareness. However, the portrayal of bullying can sometimes be intense and disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised for sensitive content.
School 2013 (2012-2013)
- Reason: Depicts high school life with a focus on bullying, friendships, and teacher-student relationships.
- Synopsis: The drama portrays the lives of high school students and teachers, exploring friendships, rivalries, and the educational system.
- Themes: Bullying, friendship, the role of education, teacher-student relationships.
- Main Cast: Lee Jong-suk, Kim Woo-bin, Jang Nara, Choi Daniel.
- Trivia: This installment brought new fame to the long-running “School” series and made stars out of Lee Jong-suk and Kim Woo-bin.
Boys Over Flowers (2009)
- Reason: Classic Korean drama with a subplot involving bullying.
- Synopsis: A poor girl enters a prestigious high school on a scholarship and has to deal with the F4, a group of rich, privileged boys who rule the school.
- Themes: Class struggle, teenage love, bullying, friendship.
- Main Cast: Lee Min-ho, Ku Hye-sun, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Bum.
- Trivia: Based on a Japanese manga, this drama catapulted Lee Min-ho to stardom.
Angry Mom (2015)
- Reason: Directly deals with school bullying and a mother’s efforts to protect her child.
- Synopsis: A mother goes undercover as a high school student to protect her daughter from being bullied.
- Themes: Maternal love, bullying, social justice.
- Main Cast: Kim Hee-sun, Ji Hyun-woo, Kim Yoo-jung.
- Trivia: Kim Hee-sun won several awards for her performance in this drama.
Heirs (2013)
- Reason: Focuses on the lives of wealthy students, including instances of bullying.
- Synopsis: A group of wealthy, privileged high school students deal with issues of family expectations, love, and friendship.
- Themes: Class struggle, family dynamics, bullying.
- Main Cast: Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-hye, Kim Woo-bin.
- Trivia: Extremely popular in many countries, further establishing Lee Min-ho as an international star.
Save Me (2017)
- Reason: Deals with bullying and ostracization within the context of a religious cult.
- Synopsis: A girl and her family get involved in a religious cult; she experiences severe bullying and isolation.
- Themes: Religious cults, bullying, psychological manipulation.
- Main Cast: Ok Taec-yeon, Seo Ye-ji, Jo Sung-ha.
- Trivia: The series is based on the webcomic “Out of the World,” which is itself inspired by real-life events.
Beautiful World (2019)
- Reason: Focuses on school violence and a family’s fight for justice.
- Synopsis: After a boy becomes critically injured due to school violence, his family seeks justice.
- Themes: School violence, bullying, family.
- Main Cast: Park Hee-soon, Choo Ja-hyun, Oh Man-seok, Cho Yeo-jeong.
- Trivia: The drama received praise for its thoughtful approach to sensitive issues.
Extracurricular (2020)
- Reason: Mature themes, including high school students engaged in crime and bullying.
- Synopsis: A high school student’s life spirals out of control as he engages in illegal activities to make money while dealing with bullying.
- Themes: Crime, morality, bullying.
- Main Cast: Kim Dong-hee, Park Joo-hyun, Jung Da-bin.
- Trivia: This Netflix original series is darker in tone compared to most Korean dramas on this list.
Solomon’s Perjury (2016-2017)
- Reason: Explores bullying as a suspected reason for a student’s death.
- Synopsis: A student’s mysterious death triggers a quest for the truth, led by his fellow students, who hold a mock trial.
- Themes: Bullying, truth and justice, friendship.
- Main Cast: Kim Hyun-soo, Jang Dong-yoon, Seo Ji-hoon.
- Trivia: This drama is based on a Japanese novel and film of the same name.
My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018)
- Reason: Discusses bullying based on physical appearance.
- Synopsis: A girl undergoes plastic surgery to escape bullying but finds that life isn’t as perfect as she thought it would be.
- Themes: Physical appearance, bullying, self-esteem.
- Main Cast: Im Soo-hyang, Cha Eun-woo, Jo Woo-ri.
- Trivia: The drama is based on a popular webtoon.
Please note that these dramas are for mature audiences and should be watched with caution if you are sensitive to the topic of bullying. Always check the ratings and reviews to ensure they are appropriate for your age and comfort level.
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