The dark High School drama, Hierarchy, has been compared to Gossip Girl on one too many occasions. But unlike the US TV series, Hierarchy is a limited show with only seven episodes. It also reminds us a lot of another Kdrama series, Revenge of Others, that follows a similar plot.
But we’re not here to give our review of Hierarchy. Instead, we’re here to answer what “Noblesse Oblige” means since it’s been repeated several times in the Kdrama series.
What is Noblesse Oblige Meaning in Hierarchy?
The French phrase, “Noblesse Oblige,” has been repeated several times in Hierarchy. We often hear it mentioned as Jooshin High School’s motto and is spoken several times by the school principal, Park Hui-Seon (Bae Hae-Sun).
So what does this term mean?
As mentioned, “Noblesse Oblige” is a French term that translates to “nobility obligates.” Merriam-Webster defines this term as “the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth.”
In the Kdrama series, this term is the prestigious school’s motto where it accepts scholarship students into admission as part of their “obligation, generosity, and responsibility” as members of the higher social class.
Using this motto, the school accepts a handful of promising kids who would otherwise never be able to afford the school tuition. After the mysterious death of one of their scholarship kids, the school accepts another student called Kang Ha (Lee Chae-Min), who seems to be oblivious to the not-so-subtle hierarchy in the school and finds himself in trouble with the wrong crowd.
The hierarchy in the Kdrama shows that the upper-class kids in school look down on the scholarship kids since they do not belong in their world. And in a way, the scholarship kids get out of the way of the upper-class kids since they feel like it is something they have to do in exchange for their admission into the elite institution. Those who break that hierarchy, like Kang In-Han (Kim Min-Chul) and Kang Ha, are bullied and beaten up.
Is Jooshin High School a Real School in Hierarchy?
Jooshin High School is the main setting in the Kdrama, Hierarchy. Despite the unjust hierarchy followed in the school, it boasts beautifully crafted interiors and a private classroom reserved for the top students of the school.
Fortunately, Jooshin High School is not a real institution. It was created solely for the Kdrama series. But there are elite private schools in South Korea, which are called “Jasago” or “Jasa-go.” The good news is that these real schools do not follow the criminal activities that take place in Jooshin High School that the school officials play blind to.
But in 2019, the Education Ministry of South Korea announced that it planned to turn Jasagos into regular high schools by 2025. The reason behind this decision related to the “access to quality upper secondary education” for its students.
You can see the fictional Jooshin High School here:
How Many Episodes of Hierarchy Kdrama Are There?
There are a total of 7 episodes of Hierarchy Kdrama.
When Do New Episodes Come Out?
All of these episodes were released on the same day, June 7, 2024.
