Shark Business: 5 K-Dramas About Corporate Power Struggles
The elaborate schemes, behind-the-scenes conflicts, and drama make the corporate lifestyle perfect material for some intriguing and intense stories.
Running or working for a large corporation is no easy task, filled with a lot of stress and drama, so when spiced up with a dash of TV magic, it easily becomes the perfect material for an intriguing series.
With that in mind, if you are looking for K-dramas about the harsh realities of the corporate lifestyle, these five shows, filled with elaborate schemes and power struggles, fit the bill perfectly.
Reborn Rich (2022)
Yoon Hyun-woo has spent his life working loyally for the good of the company, but in return he was betrayed, framed to cover up a tax evasion and finally murdered.
But suddenly he finds himself back in 1987, inhabiting the body of the youngest grandson of the family that stabbed him in the back, and is given the perfect opportunity to get his revenge and take control of the company.
The Impossible Heir (2024)
Kang In-ha's life takes a drastic turn when he discovers that he is actually the illegitimate son of a wealthy conglomerate owner.
Now thrown into the turmoil of a brutal struggle for control of the company, he must gather allies and devise an elaborate plan to come out on top and secure what is rightfully his.
Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014)
This show delivers a somewhat different take on the subject of working for a huge corporation from the point of view of an intern level employee.
After failing in his dream of becoming a professional baduk player, Jang Geu-rae struggles to make ends meet as he has virtually no skills that would have helped him get a decent career.
However, through a lucky turn of events, he manages to get an internship at a huge international company, and enters a whole new world of corporate workers.
Numbers (2023)
Since childhood, Jang Ho-woo has been exceptionally good with numbers, which allowed him to get a job as an accountant in a prestigious company after graduating from high school.
Unexpectedly, his talent also leads him to uncover an elaborate web of corruption and offers him the opportunity to put an end to it by destroying the company.
Agency (2023)
Go Ah-in didn't have a silver spoon upbringing, but her impressive determination, hard work and iron will allowed her to climb the corporate ladder and become the first female executive member of a major advertising agency.