4 of the Most Riveting K-Dramas That Tackle the Topic of Bullying – Ranked

K-dramas are widely popular for the way they handle social issues in a variety of genres, from romance to thrillers and comedies. While dramas deal with the social impact of low-income families, education, and more, the topic of bullying has become a growing theme in storylines. Some K-dramas take a lighter approach to bullying, like the teen romance True Beauty and the Korean anime Lookism. But the most riveting K-dramas about bullying are the hardest to watch, like Netflix’s The Glory.

4. ‘Revenge of Others’ deals with blackmailing, assault, bullying, and murder

The 2022 K-drama Revenge of Others has gained popularity thanks to its mix of various themes and lessons within one storyline. The drama begins with a backstory of the female lead character, Chan-mi (Shin Ye-eun). She and her twin brother were orphans until her brother was adopted by a wealthy family and started living under a new name. But Chan-mi stayed in contact with her brother, Won-seok (Kang Yul), and developed a good relationship.

The story takes a drastic turn when her brother suddenly cuts off their video call. She later learns her brother is dead, with everyone believing he died by suicide. But she knows her brother and suspects it was murder. She transfers to his school for answers and gets thrust into a dark web of lies and secrets.

Chan-mi is led to believe her brother was a heinous bully. While looking for clues, fans meet Soo-heon (Lomon), a popular student with a secret. In Revenge of Others K-drama, the bullying theme shines through when learning Soo-heon is a vigilante to punishes bullies who got away with their crimes.

Fans see the theme of bullying in various ways, from heinous blackmail to the “it” girl disliking Chan-mi for becoming close to Soo-heon. Revenge of Others is also not shy from portraying a storyline with an antagonist who assaulted a female student and got away with it.

Revenge of Others is available on Hulu.

3.’Weak Hero Class 1′ K-drama showcases the ruthless cycle of bullying

Actor Park Ji-hoon stars in the webtoon K-drama Weak Hero Class 1. In the role of Si-eun, his character is academic perfection, and he keeps to himself in school. But he, too, becomes the target of his class bullies. Despite his insistence in telling them to stop, their inferiority complex does not allow it. Unlike other bullying K-dramas, Si-eun has had enough and snaps one day and attacks his tormentors.

But in doing so, he starts a domino effect of events. Weak Hero Class 1 showcases how bullying can escalate in dangerous territory outside a school setting. Si-eun’s actions lead his bully to ask for help from his drug dealers. Fearing for Si-eun, new student Beom Seok (Hong Kyung) asks for help from Soo-ho (Choi Hyun-wook). It leads to a unique friendship. Soo-ho was bullied at his old school, while Soo-ho is a tough guy who refuses to be bullied.

But Weak Hero Class 1 takes on a more complex story when Soo-ho feels the rush of what it means to have power as a bully. It leads to further turmoil, danger, blood, and a near-death situation. By the Weak Hero Class 1 finale, Si-eun gets caught up in another cycle of bullying.

Weak Hero Class 1 is available on Viki.

2. ‘The Glory’ K-drama has hard-to-watch moments of extreme teen bullying

The K-drama everyone is talking about is Netflix’s The Glory. Writer Kim Eun-sook created The Glory’s heavy bullying storyline after her daughter started high school and posed the question: “Would you be more hurt if I beat someone to death, or was beaten to death?”

The Glory tells Dong-eun’s (Song Hye-kyo) story as her life changed forever due to the extreme bullying she was subjected to as a teen. Fans watch as high school teens are capable of unfathomable brutality for sheer enjoyment. As a teen, Dong-eun was the victim of a group of wealthy classmates who physically bullied her. Fans will agree The Glory’s curling iron scene is hard to stomach.

But the dark lesson of the bullying K-drama is that Dong-eun’s bullies got away with it all, even when reported to the police. The drama showcases how wealth and bullies go hand in hand and the negligence of authorities and teachers. As an adult, Dong-eun carries the scars of her past and seeks revenge against her tormentors who have lived their lives with no remorse.

The Glory is available on Netflix.

1. ‘D.P’ tells the harsh reality of AWOL soldiers in the Korean military

Based on a webtoon, the Netflix K-drama D.P. deals with another side of bullying that takes place in South Korea. The country has a mandatory enlistment law where registered men must serve roughly two years in a branch of the military. But there is a dark truth that D.P. explores. The K-drama centers on the character Jun-ho (Jung Hae-in), a recently enlisted soldier who joins the deserter pursuit team.

While happy he is given a chance to leave the army barracks, he soon is faced with the reality of why soldiers go AWOL. Tasked to bring the soldiers back to base, he and his partner learn of the extreme bullying and mistreatment they faced from their superiors. Many stories involve physical and psychological mistreatment. While knowing of the shame they would bring to their families for deserting the military, the soldiers would rather take the risk.

Netflix’s D.P. gets the top spot for being one of the only K-dramas that tackles the dark side of Korea’s mandatory military service. Some of the stories are inspired by real-life events during the height of bullying cases that became public. D.P. Season 2 is scheduled to release on Netflix in 2023.

D.P. is available on Netflix.