''Dream High'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Bae Suzy,

Kim Soo-hyun Kim Soo-hyun (; born February 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. One of the highest-paid actors in South Korea, his accolades include four Baeksang Arts Awards, two Grand Bell Awards and one Blue Dragon Film Award. From 2012 to 2016 and in ...

Ok Taec-yeon Ok Taec-yeon (; born December 27, 1988), known mononymously as Taecyeon, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and entrepreneur. He is the main rapper of the South Korean boy band 2PM. In 2010, Ok debuted as an actor in the Kore ...

Hahm Eun-jung Hahm Eun-jung (born December 12, 1988), known professionally as Eunjung and also Elsie, is a South Korean singer and actress. In 1995, she won ''Little Miss Korea'' competition at the age of seven and debuted as a child actress in the same year ...

Jang Wooyoung Jang Woo-young (Hangul: 장우영; Hanja: 張祐榮; born on April 30, 1989), better known mononymously as Wooyoung, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer and actor. In 2008, he debuted as a member of 2PM, a boy band currently managed by J ...

and Lee Ji-eun. It aired on

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

from January 3 to February 28, 2011, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 ( KST) for 16 episodes. The drama was popular among teenagers, and brought in average viewership ratings of 15.7% during its two-month run. A special episode, where the cast of the show performed the ''Dream High Special Concert'' on a stage near

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

, was aired on March 1, 2011, the day after the series ended. Its sequel ''

Dream High 2 ''Dream High 2'' () is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Kang So-ra, Jay B, Jeong Jin-woon, Park Ji-yeon, Hyolyn, and Park Seo-joon. It aired on KBS2 from January 30 to March 20, 2012, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 ( KST). Like it ...

'' aired a year later with a different cast.

Synopsis

Six students at Kirin High School share dreams of becoming K-pop idols, among others. During their school years, they learn how to develop their singing, songwriting and dancing skills while undergoing personal growth. They also start to develop feelings for one another. Each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses, but they strive to debut with the support and guidance of one another.

Cast

Main

* Bae Suzy as Go Hye-mi **Lee Joo-yeon as young Go Hye-mi (Ep. 2 & 5) :She originally wanted to become an opera singer but is forced to take up mainstream pop to pay off her father's debt to a gangster. *

as Song Sam-dong :A country bumpkin who is a music prodigy with a rare disease. He develops a one-sided crush on Hye-mi. *

as Jin-guk/Hyun Shi-hyuk **

Kang Yi-seok Kang Yi-seok (born November 11, 1998) is a South Korean actor. Kang began his career as a child actor, and has starred in television series such as ''Mr. Goodbye'' (2006), ''First Wives' Club'' (2007), '' Five Fingers'' (2012) and ''Ugly Alert'' ...

as young Jin-guk (Ep. 2, 5 & 10) :He has a contentious relationship with his father, the mayor, who hasn't acknowledged him as his son. *

as Yoon Baek-hee :Formerly best friends with Hye-mi, the two become bitter enemies when Hye-mi betrays Baek-hee during an audition. *

as Jason :An American-born dancer who plans on making his entertainment debut in Korea. * Lee Ji-eun as Kim Pil-sook :She was discouraged from pursuing music because she was shy and overweight. She also has the gift of

perfect pitch Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection, completeness, excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film * ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * ''Perfect'' (2018 film), a science ...

Supporting

Ahn Gil-kang Ahn Gil-kang (born August 24, 1966) is a South Korean actor. He frequently appears as a supporting actor in director Ryoo Seung-wan's films, such as '' Die Bad'' (2000), '' Crying Fist'' (2005), ''The City of Violence'' (2006), and '' Dachimawa L ...

as Ma Doo-shik *Ahn Sun-young as Kang Oh-sun (Oh-hyuk's older sister) *

Ahn Seo-hyun Ahn Seo-hyun (born January 12, 2004) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child actress in 2008, and has since appeared in films and television series such as '' The Housemaid'' (2010), '' Single-minded Dandelion'' (2014) and th ...

as Go Hye-sung (Hye-mi's younger sister) **

Park Eun-bin Park Eun-bin (, born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. A former child actress, she is known for her lead roles in the television series ''Hello, My Twenties!'' (2016–2017), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019–2020), ''Do You Like Brahms? ...

as 16-year-old Hye-sung (Ep. 16) *

Lee Hye-sook Lee Hye-sook (born September 4, 1962) is a South Korean actress. She began acting in 1979, and has remained active in Korean cinema and television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting mo ...

as Song Nam-boon (Sam-dong's mother) *

Choi Il-hwa Choi Il-hwa (born May 9, 1959) is a South Korean actor. He joined the Madang Sesil Theatre Group in 1983, and has since continued acting in Korean theater, television and film. Filmography Film *'' No Tomorrow (2016) *'' Wonderful Nightmare'' ...

as Hyun Moo-jin (Jin-guk's father) *

Park Hyuk-kwon Park Hyuk-kwon (born July 11, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Park began his acting career in 1993 as a member of the theater troupe Sanulrim. He later became a well-regarded supporting actor in films such as '' Chaw'' (2009) and ''Secret Reunion ...

as Go Byung-jik (Hye-mi's father) *Jang Hee-soo as Kang Hee-seon (Baek-hee's mother) *Park Hwi-soon as Jin-gook's roommate (Ep. 1–2, 5)

Teachers in Kirin High School

Um Ki-joon Um Ki-joon (born March 23, 1976) is a South Korean actor. Career Um Ki-joon made his acting debut in 1995 in the stage play ''Richard III'', though he later became best known as a musical theatre actor, starring in ''Singin' in the Rain'', ''The ...

as Kang Oh-hyuk *

Lee Yoon-ji Lee Yoon-ji (born March 15, 1984) is a South Korean actress. After making her acting debut in the sitcom '' Nonstop 4'', Lee has starred in the television series '' Pure 19'' (2004), ''Princess Hours'' (2006), ''Dream High'' (2011), ''The King 2 ...

as Shi Kyung-jin *

Park Jin-young Park Jin-young (Hangul: 박진영; born December 13, 1971), also known by his stage names J. Y. Park and The Asiansoul or the initials JYP, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, record executive, and reality television show ju ...

as Yang Jin-man *

Lee Byung-joon Lee Byung-joon (; born January 27, 1964) is a South Korean actor. Active in film, television and theater since 1985, Lee is best known for his supporting roles in '' A Bloody Aria'' (2006), '' Highway Star'' (2007), and ''Eye for an Eye'' (2008) ...

as Principal Shi Bum-soo *

Lee Yoon-mi Lee Yoon-mi (born September 25, 1981) is a South Korean actress and entrepreneur. Career Lee Yoon-mi won the top prize in the Super Elite Model Best Talent Awards in 1998. She made her entertainment debut in 2003 as a member of the K-pop/dance ...

as Maeng Seung-hee *Baek Won-kil as Gong Min-chul * Bae Yong-joon as President Jung Ha-myung (Ep. 1–4) *Joo Young-hoon as the composing teacher (Ep. 11)

Students in Kirin High School

*Jeon Ah-min as Jo In-sung (Jin-gook's friend) * JOO as Jung Ah-jung *Han Ji-hoo as Park Do-joon *

Yoon Young-ah Yoon Young-ah (; born March 15, 1987) is a South Korean actress. Yoon began her career as a child actress, notably in the children's fantasy show ''Magic Kid Masuri'' (2002). She began using the stage name Han Ye-in in 2007 when she transitione ...

as Lee Ri-ah *Park Jin-sang as Jun Tae-san *

Han Bo-reum Han Bo-reum (born ''Kim Bo-reum''; February 12, 1987) is a South Korean actress and model.
https://www.wo ...

as Ha So-hyun *

Bae Noo-ri Bae Noo-ri (born February 4, 1993) is a South Korean actress. She began modeling in 2008 for the brand Litmus, then made her acting debut in 2010. Bae is best known for playing a shaman in a period television series ''Moon Embracing the Sun ...

as Han So-ri (Ep. 6, 9, 12–13)

Special appearances

Sumi Jo Sumi Jo, OSI (; ; born 22 November 1962) is a South Korean lyric coloratura soprano known for her Grammy award-winning interpretations of the bel canto repertoire. Life and career Early life and education Jo was born Jo Su-gyeong in Chang ...

as herself (Ep. 1) *

Kim Hyun-joong Kim Hyun-joong (; born June 6, 1986) is a South Korean actor, singer and songwriter. He is a member of the boy band SS501 and played roles in the Korean dramas ''Boys Over Flowers'' and ''Playful Kiss''. After debuting with SS501 in 2005, Kim ...

as himself (Ep. 1) *

Song Hae Song Bok-hee (; 27 April 1927 – 8 June 2022), also known professionally as Song Hae (), was a South Korean television music show host and singer. He had been the host of the longest running music show '' National Singing Contest'' from 1988 ...

as variety show host (Ep. 2, 3) *

Jay B Lim Jae-beom (Hangul: 임재범; born January 6, 1994), better known as Jay B (Hangul: 제이비; stylized in all caps), and formerly JB, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. Lim is the leader of South Korean boy band group Got7, a ...

as Jason's back up dancer (Ep. 3) *

Young K Kang Young-hyun ( ko, 강영현; born December 19, 1993), known professionally as Young K, is a Korean musician, singer, songwriter and rapper. He is best known as the bassist, vocalist and rapper of South Korean rock band Day6. Early life K ...

as Jason's back up dancer (Ep. 3) *

Shownu Son Hyun-woo (, born June 18, 1992), better known by his stage name Shownu, is a South Korean singer and dancer. He is the leader of the South Korean boy group Monsta X, which debuted under Starship Entertainment, through Mnet's survival show ...

as Jason's back up dancer (Ep. 3) *

Nichkhun Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul ( th, นิชคุณ หรเวชกุล; ; born June 24, 1988), better known mononymously as Nichkhun ( ko, 닉쿤), is a Thai American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and model who is currently based in Sou ...

as Lee Ri-ah's CF partner (Ep. 8) *

Koo Jun-yup Koo Jun-yup (; born September 11, 1969), also known by his stage name DJ Koo, is a South Korean singer, DJ, music producer, dancer, and songwriter. He is well-known as a member of the legendary K-pop duo CLON. Koo is one of the first-generat ...

as himself (Ep. 9, 10) *

Hwang Chan-sung Hwang Chan-sung ( ko, 황찬성, born February 11, 1990), also known mononymously as Chansung, is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter and actor. He is a member of the Korean boy band 2PM. He made his debut as an actor in the 2006 comedy ...

as Oh-sun's imaginary boyfriend (Ep. 12) *

Leeteuk Park Jeong-su (born July 1, 1983), known professionally as Leeteuk (), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter, radio personality and actor. He debuted as the leader of the boy band Super Junior in November 2005 and since then has part ...

as himself (Ep. 13) *

Eunhyuk Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and ...

as himself (Ep. 13) *

miss A Miss A (stylized as "MISS A" or "miss A", Hangul: ) was a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group debuted in July 2010 with the single " Bad Girl Good Girl" as a quartet consisting of Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy. Their ...

as flash mob dancers (Ep. 16) * 2AM as flash mob dancers (Ep. 16) *

Dal Shabet Dal Shabet (Hangul: , stylized as Dal★Shabet or Dalshabet) is a South Korean girl group created by E-Tribe under Happy Face Entertainment. The group debuted on January 3, 2011, with the EP '' Supa Dupa Diva'' and with six members: Viki, Ser ...

as Baek-hee's students (Ep. 16)

Production

In January 2009, media outlets reported that Bae Yong-joon, hallyu actor and chairman of

KeyEast KeyEast (; stylized as KEYEAST) is a management agency founded by actor Bae Yong-joon. History * October 8, 1996 – Tuneboom Korea Co., Ltd. (한국툰붐 주식회사) was established. * November 2003 – Tuneboom Korea was listed at KOSDAQ. ...

, would co-produce a television drama with

's entertainment company JYP. A television drama production company, Holym, was established as a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and economic risk, risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four rea ...

between

and

JYP Entertainment JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate founded in 1997 by J. Y. Park. It is one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea, and operates as a record label, tale ...

. In April 2010, CJ Media signed a MoU with Holym becoming the part of production team. Bae being the creative producer of the drama, he provided overall concept, goals and ideas while Park composed the music and choreographed the dance for the series. The screenplay was written by Park Hye-ryun and the series was directed by Lee Eung-bok. Bae Yong-joon was also part of the cast for four episodes making his first small screen appearance in three years. While

marked his acting debut with the series.

and

from

2PM 2PM (; romanized; ''Tupiem'') is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Jun. K (formerly known as Junsu), Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Junho and Chansung. Originally a seven-piece group, fo ...

, Bae Suzy from

Miss A Miss A (stylized as "MISS A" or "miss A", Hangul: ) was a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group debuted in July 2010 with the single " Bad Girl Good Girl" as a quartet consisting of Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy. Their ...

from

T-ara T-ara (; ko, 티아라) are a South Korean girl group formed by MBK Entertainment in 2009, consists of four members: Qri, Eunjung, Hyomin and Jiyeon. T-ara's career is marked by hook-heavy dance-pop music, a result of their close partners ...

, singer IU and

were selected for the main cast. Kim was the only non-

idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...

among the cast; but had studied music and dance at

for 3 months in order to portray his role.

Original soundtrack

Chart performance

Plagiarism allegation

While "Someday" fared well commercially and reached number one on the Gaon Digital Chart, it was embroiled in controversy after the song's writer and composer,

, was accused of plagiarizing the song, "To My Man". Songwriter Kim Shin-il won his plagiarism lawsuit against Park Jin-young in 2013, however, an appeal to the

Supreme Court of Korea The Supreme Court of Korea () is the highest ordinary court in the judicial branch of South Korea, seated in Seocho, Seoul. Established under Chapter 5 of the Constitution of South Korea, the Court has ultimate and comprehensive jurisdicti ...

led to an eventual High Court retrial in 2015.

Reception

On October 5, 2011, Japan's daily paper

Sankei Sports is a Japanese-language daily sports newspaper published by Sankei Shimbun. In 2014, it had a circulation of 1,270,000. The newspaper is known by its nickname . Relating sports teams * Kanto area - Tokyo Yakult Swallows (Nippon Professional Bas ...

reported that ''Dream High'' was handed the Grand Prize and ' Hallyu award at the

SKY PerfecTV! is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service that provides satellite television, audio programming and interactive television services to households in Japan, owned by parent company SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation. SKY PerfecTV! is also a direct ...

awards which took place in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

. On October 24, 2011, ''Dream High'' was given the Special Award for Foreign Drama at the 5th International Drama Festival held in

. On December 31, 2011, ''Dream High'' won the following at the

KBS Drama Awards The KBS Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by the Korean Broadcasting System The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean te ...

: Best Supporting Actress for

; Best New Actor and Popularity Award for

; Best New Actress for Bae Suzy; and Best Couple Award for Kim Soo-hyun and Bae Suzy. On May 10, 2012, ''Dream High'' was honored at the

Rose d'Or The Rose d'Or ('Golden Rose') is an international awards festival in entertainment broadcasting and programming. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) first acquired the Rose d’Or in 1961, when it was created by Swiss Television in the lakes ...

, the global entertainment television festival ceremony which took place at Lucerne, Switzerland. It won the

Golden Rose The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection. Recipients have included churches and sanctuaries, royalty, military ...

under the Youth category, the first ever Korean production to do so.

Ratings

In this table, represent the lowest ratings and represent the highest ratings.

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Listicles

Adaptations

* The drama was adapted into a Japanese stage musical, with

Yuya Matsushita is a Japanese pop and R&B singer and actor under Japanese Dream Records. His debut single " foolish foolish" was released on November 26, 2008. He had his first breakthrough as Sebastian Michaelis in the ''Black Butler'' musical and since then, ...

and

Bright Bright may refer to: Common meanings *Bright, an adjective meaning giving off or reflecting illumination; see Brightness *Bright, an adjective meaning someone with intelligence People * Bright (surname) * Bright (given name) *Bright, the stage na ...

's Nanaka playing the roles of Song Sam-dong and Go Hye-mi, respectively. It had runs at the

New National Theatre Tokyo The is Japan's first and foremost national centre for the performing arts, including opera, ballet, contemporary dance and drama. It is located in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo. Since 1997 more than 650 productions were staged. There are about 300 pe ...

from July 3 to July 20, 2012 and was produced by the , composed of TBS, Avex Live Creative, Nelke Planning and Lawson

HMV Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...

Entertainment. * After the publication of ''Dream High Special Making Book'' in February 2011 which contained behind-the-scene stories and photos as well as special interviews with the show's cast, a two-volume "image novel" was also released featuring still cuts from the drama. * On November 13, 2022, It was announced ''Dream High'' woul have a Korean stage musical.

Sequel

The sequel ''

'' aired a year later with a different cast, starring

Kang So-ra Kang So-ra (born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress. Career Kang made her acting debut in the 2009 thriller movie '' 4th Period Mystery'', but rose to fame when she starred in the 2011 blockbuster '' Sunny'', a coming-of-age film ab ...

, GOT7's JB and Jinyoung, 2AM's

Jinwoon Jeong Jin-woon (Hangul: 정진운), most often credited as Jinwoon, is a South Korean singer and actor. Debuting as a member of the group 2AM in July 2008, he began his acting career in 2012 with the KBS series '' Dream High 2'', playing Ji ...

's Jiyeon,

SISTAR Sistar (, often stylized as SISTAR) was a South Korean girl group formed in 2010 by Starship Entertainment. The group consisted of Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou and Dasom. They made their official debut with the song " Push Push" on 3 June 2010. Their ...

Hyolyn Kim Hyo-jung (; born December 11, 1990), better known by her stage name Hyolyn (효린), is a South Korean singer and songwriter, now under the management of her own self-started production company Bridʒ. She is a former member of the South Kor ...

Ailee Amy Lee (born May 30, 1989), known professionally as Ailee, is an American singer and songwriter based in South Korea. Amassing digital sales success in South Korea, she has released four studio albums, six extended plays, and twenty one singles ...

, and

Park Seo-joon Park Seo-joon (born Park Yong-kyu; December 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his starring roles in the television series ''Kill Me, Heal Me'' (2015), '' She Was Pretty'' (2015), '' Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth'' (2016� ...

. In episode 17 of

My Love from the Star ''My Love from the Star'' () is a South Korean fantasy romantic comedy television series written by Park Ji-eun and directed by Jang Tae-yoo. Produced by Choi Moon-suk and Moon Bo-mi, it stars Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Soo-hyun, Park Hae-jin, Yoo In- ...

, Bae Suzy makes a special guest appearance as Go Hye-mi, the main protagonist (and the same character she plays in) of ''Dream High''.

International broadcast

Notes

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control 2011 South Korean television series debuts 2011 South Korean television series endings South Korean musical television series South Korean romance television series South Korean teen dramas Korean Broadcasting System television dramas Korean-language television shows Television shows written by Park Hye-ryun Television series by CJ E&M Television series by JYP Entertainment Television series by KeyEast Dream High Television series about teenagers South Korean high school television series