Here Are Two K-Dramas To Tune In To If You Enjoyed “SKY Castle”

Elitism, tiger moms and murder mysteries galore.

SKY Castle made a hit in 2018. It soon became the second-highest-rated K-Drama in cable television history. Its fame soon spread globally, and it was broadcast everywhere. Many could relate to the pressures of child-rearing and studying, while foreigners were interested in the topic of the cutthroat South Korean education system.

SKY Castle character poster. | jtbc

The show told the story of the worldly desires of the upper class in South Korea and how they go all out to secure a prestigious education for their offspring, even if it comes at the cost of others’ lives. Four families reside in the elite SKY Castle complex. Their children often compete in terms of grades while their mothers helicopter over their lives. Tragedy strikes when Park Young Jae, the oldest child, commits suicide. He had gotten accepted to the best university and major in the country per his parents’ wishes. After which, he decided that it was time for him to lay down the burden of studying for his parents’ sake. However, when they stop him from pursuing his passions, he takes his own life. Soon, his family moves out, and newcomer Lee Soo Im and her family move in. Later, a young classmate of one of the children dies at a party held in the complex. Everyone tries to solve the mystery of who killed her.

If you loved SKY Castle, make sure to read on. We’ve got two recent K-Dramas that revolve around similar topics of tiger moms and their children’s education. Expectedly, the characters involved are also from the upper echelons of society.

1. “Green Mothers’ Club”

Sangwi Elementary School (literally translates to Top Class Elementary School) is one where the mothers are highly involved in their children’s education and lives. While most are active in the parents’ group at school, the prominent few mothers who raise the most intelligent children in the school are also part of a volunteer crew called the Green Mothers’ Club. Together, they host events for the children and act as crossguards in front of the school. Lee Eun Pyo moves to the district and enrolls her children in Sangwi. At first, she is shunned by the elite mothers as they look down on the free way she raises her children. She soon runs into Seo Jin Ha, her best friend from the past. The two studied together in Paris together. Now, their children are in the same class. Eun Pyo has always felt inferior to the more affluent and talented Jin Ha. The last straw was when Jin Ha caught the eye of Luis, a french Korean adoptee. Luis had been close to Eun Pyo until Jin Ha came along. Eun Pyo tries to hide her connection with Jin Ha and Luis from the other mothers.

Promotional poster for Green Mothers’ Club. | jtbc

Green Mothers’ Club is available on Netflix.

2. “High Class”

Starring Cho Yeo Jeong of Parasite fame, she plays a lawyer Song Yeo Wool. After her husband dives headfirst into sa and is suspected of being the person who pushed him, she moves to Jeju Island after being cleared of suspicion. She has come to Jeju after realizing that her husband left a mansion for their young son on the island. She moves into the house in hopes of solving the mysterious death of her husband. She enrolls her son Yi Chan in a prestigious international school where she gets to know the other high-flying moms. Nam Ji Sun, the CEO of several hotels, Cha Do Young, a former actress, and Hwang Na Yoon, the mysterious owner of a gallery, are at the center of the school’s PTA. They are also linked to her dead husband. Yeo Wool suspects an affair, but the truth is much more sinister.

Character poster for High Class. | tvN

High Class is available on iQiyi or VIU.

Was that enough to tempt you to watch the shows? If not, check out the trailers for both K-Dramas below and make the call for yourself!