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At Jooshin High, a fictitious high school in Netflix's latest series Hierarchy attended by the elite 1% of Korean society and a few scholarship students, Jae-i and Ri-an are the wealthiest students. Each year, the school's administration accepts a small number of deserving underprivileged children, "inspired" by the Latin motto of the organization: noblesse oblige. Kang Ha, played by Lee Chae-min, is one such child.
Even when other students try to enlighten him with their words or fists, Kang Ha is a new student and doesn't appear to understand the institution's not-so-subtle "hierarchy." But it doesn't take long to see that Kang Ha is more sophisticated than he seems. Kang Ha joined Jooshin in an attempt to exact justice and retribution for his fraternal twin brother's death, In-han.
In-han had also been a scholarship student at the institution for some months before. He was brutally bullied by the school's wealthiest students and died in a hit-and-run accident. In the course of seven episodes, Kang Ha unearths a network of institutional corruption, extortion, and spying that predates his brother's arrival at the university.
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The main lead cast consists of Kim Ri-an (Kim Jae-won), Jung Jae-i (No Jeong-ee), Kang Ha (Lee Chae-min), Lee Woo-jin (Lee Won-jung), and Yoon He-ra (Ji Hye-won). Netflix released the season 1 of its original series on June 7, 2024.
A closer look into the world of Hierarchy's wealthiest four students and the scholarship kid
In the first episode of the K-drama Hierarchy on Netflix, which centers on students at a prestigious private school in Korea, a former "it" couple from the elite high school scene gets into separate sports vehicles and speeds around a track. Kim Ri-an and Jung Jae-i race one another in a Lamborghini and Ferrari to win so that the winner gets their one wish granted by the defeated.
Jae-i wins and breaks up with Ri-an, which sets the pace of the limited series, Hierarchy. As the show garners its worldwide popularity and gives viewers a closer look into the world of the wealthiest and their vanity, fans poured praises for the lead cast lineup. Let's dive into the real actors who led the power-charged web series weaved in lies, deceit, money, and murder.
1) Kim Ri-an, played by Kim Jae-won
Current Age: 23-years-old
Jooshin Group's sole heir to the throne, Kim Ri-an is one of the two wealthiest kids in Jooshin High. His family founded the educational institute in 1939 and is considered royalty who can't be touched. Kim Jae-won's character portrayal of Ri-an is well-delivered as the South Korean actor is one of the new fresh faces in the industry.
Previously, he was seen in the Netflix K-drama King The Land, starring Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah. Kim Jae-won also starred in Our Blues and Fall For You, among others. His appearance in Hierarchy as the cold, composed, yet utterly loyal Kim Ri-an is the first lead role of his career.
2) Jung Jae-i, played by No Jeong-ee
Current Age: 22-years-old
Jung Jae-i is the chaebol heiress of Jaeyul Group, a competitor of Jooshin Group. Jae-i is the second wealthiest kid at Jooshin High, whose family fortune is at par with Ri-an's. However, the two have been friends since they were 6-years-old and have been in love with one another from the age of 16. She would go to any lengths to protect Ri-an from harm's way.
No Jeong-ee's portrayal as the icy queen, Jung Jae-i, of the elite high school earned praise globally with Hierarchy's continued success. She was previously seen as Su-na in the Netflix Korean film Badland Hunters (2024) starring Don Lee and Lee Jun-young. No Jeong-ee was previously also seen in Our Beloved Summer, 18 Again, Kill It, and Pinocchio, among others.
3) Kang Ha, played by Lee Chae-min
Current Age: 23-years-old
Kang Ha is a new scholarship student at Jooshin High, and since he comes from an underprivileged family, his time at the elite institution gets tough over time. His sole mission is to find the truth about his brother's death and who killed him. However, amid his ongoing crusade for justice, he develops feelings for Jung Jae-i, which further puts him and Ri-an at each other's throats.
The charming and bright Kang Ha in Hierarchy is Lee Chae-min's first lead role of his career. Previously, he hosted KBS Music Bank from September 2022 to May 2024. He also made appearances in Alchemy of Souls, Crash Course in Romance, and See You in My 19th Life.
4) Lee Woo-jin, played by Lee Won-jung
Current Age: 23-years-old
Lee Woo-jin is Kim Ri-an's childhood best friend and the second son of a famous politician. Woo-jin is calm and kind, yet his power and family connections have rather made him nonchalant to everything that happens around him. However, his determination to keep the friendship between the four of them (Ri-an, Jae-i, He-ra, and himself) stopped him from confessing his one-sided love for Yoon He-ra.
The 23-year-old new face, Lee Won-jung, put on a stellar performance as Lee Woo-jin. He previously appeared in My Perfect Stranger and Extraordinary Attorney Woo. However, his lead cast appearance in the new Netflix original series has shot him to newfound fame.
5) Yoon He-ra, played by Ji Hye-won
Current Age: 26-years-old
Yoon He-ra is Jung Jae-i's childhood best friend and the daughter of the CEO of International Yoon. She is an obnoxious 18-year-old, who plays mind games to get Ri-an. However, by the end of the series, she comes around as one of the best characters with a noteworthy character development arc.
In the finale of episode 7 of Hierarchy, she becomes friends with Kang Ha and apologizes to him for whatever happened to his brother, In-han. Ji Hye-won has previously made appearances in My Perfect Stranger, The Sound of Magic, and It's Okay To Not Be Okay, among others. Her portrayal as Yoon He-ra was the breakthrough moment in her career.
Netflix's original series Hierarchy consists of seven episodes and is available for global streaming. The show's end-credits show that He-ra discovers a dead body in one of the classrooms in episode 7. Soon, Ri-an and other students show up and it's revealed that there has been another murder on the school's grounds.
Hierarchy will be renewed for a second installment as it ended with a cliffhanger with the death of another student. The release date of season 2 hasn't been announced by Netflix yet.
