5 K-dramas to watch after Hierarchy

After finishing Hierarchy, you may want to binge-watch even more K-dramas with a similar theme. No worries, there are a few to pick from.

Netflix’s newest K-drama Hierarchy dismantles an elite high school and its hidden secrets with its storyline themes found in other popular K-dramas.

Behind the prestige and power of Jooshin High School is the arrival of scholarship student Kang Ha. His presence at the school has ulterior motives, as he’s hellbent on uncovering the truth behind a heinous crime.

This new K-drama is a must-watch for fans who want a storyline full of mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, not to mention the power dynamics between the elite who go unpunished and the student who wants them to see the error of their ways.

The Glory

Moon Dong-eun was a victim of school bullying that forced her to drop out and give up her dreams in The Glory. She becomes consumed with revenge against her former bullies who got away with it and live a life of privilege.

Now an adult, she sets her plan in motion. She gets a job as a teacher at the school where her main bully’s daughter attends. She plans to have her tormentors destroy each other while keeping her hands clean of the fallout.

Dong-eun unearths each of their darkest secrets, ruins their public image, and makes the people closest to them learn the reality of the pain they have caused. All the while, she receives help from a doctor with his own dark past.

Where to watch: Netflix

Tempted

If looking for a K-drama more focused on rich versus poor and teen drama, Tempted is a great watch. It’s hailed as a teen romance classic focusing on a poor female lead caught up in a bet between rich friends.

Choi Su-ji, Kwon Si-hyeon, and Lee Se-ju have been best friends since childhood and were born to wealthy families. When Su-ji’s heart gets broken by her boyfriend, her target becomes simple college student Eun Tae-hui.

Su-ji begs Si-hyeon to seduce her and humiliate her after learning Tae-hui was her ex’s first love. While not a part of their world, Si-hyeon never expected to fall in love and becomes stuck between newfound love and friendship.

Where to watch: Viki

Penthouse: War in Life

Hera Palace houses some of the most elite and richest families, all of whom crave power and prestige. But the luxury building has its dark secrets with Shim Su-ryeon as the queen.

Su-ryeon learns of her husband’s infidelity and crimes. Vowing to seek revenge, she joins forces with Oh Yoon-hee, who comes from a poor background but is determined to bring her children to the same level of status.

Intertwined in the drama is Cheon Seo-jin, the prima donna who ensures that her daughter has everything she needs.

Part of the K-drama’s story is the murder of a young tutor whose death is connected to the residents. Penthouse: War in Life tackles a cutthroat battle for power and wealth and just how far the families are willing to go to keep their pristine image utterly perfect.

Where to watch: Netflix

Extracurricular

Extracurricular isn’t about the elite, but it does focus on students who get caught up in crime and danger that they have to answer for. Ji-soo is a model student who goes unnoticed until one day, his secrets cause a domino effect.

The K-drama focuses on four students, with Ji-soo at the center, who has a criminal secret making money to afford college. When high school bully Da-bin discovers his secret and takes an interest, it throws everything off course.

Now Ji-soo gets caught up in the reality of the world he was secretly a part of and subsequently involves everyone else.

Where to watch: Netflix

Revenge of Others

The 2022 K-drama is a perfect fit for fans who got enthralled by the drama of a whodunit murder in Hierarchy. Chan-mi is a gifted shooter, but everything changes when she learns her twin brother dies by suicide.

She becomes convinced that he was murdered and the suicide was a cover-up. To find the truth, she goes undercover at his high school. But Chan-mi faces the social hierarchy within the school and how far their willing to sweep away their indiscretions.

Involved in her investigation is Soo-heon, who takes on a vigilante persona to seek revenge for bullied students.

Where to watch: Hulu

Watch all episodes of Hierarchy on Netflix. You can also read our list of the best romance K-dramas, time travel K-dramas, and what other K-dramas Netflix has for 2024.