High school dramas have a special appeal that attracts a variety of different people. From coming-of-age stories to youthful romance, there’s something relatable for everyone. Signature scenes and locations add to the familiar charm. We love the memories from high school as we adults would like to escape to simpler times. Check out some quintessential high school k-drama scenes and locations here:

The Classroom

Drama: Extracurricular

Drama: School 2017

High school dramas involve students so, of course, they need to spend some time in the classroom. But did you notice that there is a specific part of the classroom K-drama students tend to sit in? They tend to sit near the back and often close by the window just like Oh Ji-soo (starring Kim Dong-hee) in Extracurricular and Hyun Tae-woon (starring Kim Jung-hyun) in School 2017.

New Student Introduction

Drama: Angry Mom

Drama: Moment of Eighteen

In Korea, new students introduce themselves in front of the classroom on their first day. It’s especially nerve-wracking for Jo Kang-ja (starring Kim Hee-seon) because she’s pretending to be a high school student in order to find the bully who tormented her daughter in Angry Mom. Having a new student definitely shakes things up and makes it interesting. Choi Joon-woo (starring Ong Seong-wu) is a lonely transfer student in Moment of Eighteen.

School Infirmary

Drama: The School Nurse Files

Drama: Love Alarm S1

Is it just me or do K-drama characters get hurt and sick more often than us? Whatever the case, there’s plenty of scenes at the school infirmary. The School Nurse Files centers on school nurse Ahn Eun-young (starring Jung Yu-mi), so there’s plenty of fun scenes where she works. Kim Jo-jo (starring Kim So-hyun) and Lee Hye-yeong (starring Jung Ga-ram) also have a secret infirmary encounter in Love Alarm S1.

Locker Scenes

Drama: Extraordinary You

Drama: Moment of Eighteen

You use lockers to store books and belongings, but they’re also a popular place to chat and gaze longingly at the object of your affection. Ha-ru (starring Rowoon) gives a swoon-worthy look here in Extraordinary You while Cho Sang-hoon (starring Kim Do-wan) shows angsty vibes in front of his locker in Moment of Eighteen.

Water Fountain

Drama: School 2017

Drama: Extraordinary You

School water fountains are frequently found in high school dramas. You can drink water, wash your hands, clean stuff, and peek at cute students there. Hyun Tae-woon (starring Kim Jung-hyun) and Ra Eun-ho (starring Kim Se-jeong) have a sweet water fountain encounter in School 2017. Ha-ru (starring Rowoon) and Eun Dan-oh (starring Kim Hye-yoon) also look cute beside a water fountain in Extraordinary You.

School Rooftop

Drama: School 2017

Drama: Beautiful World

K-dramas certainly love their share of rooftop scenes. While rooftop access might become more restricted these days, there are plenty of locations where students try to have a space of their own. Student X is overlooking the view from the rooftop in School 2017. Park Sun-ho (starring Nam Da-reum) and Oh Joon-seok (starring Seo Dong-hyun) have a dangerous argument on the rooftop in Beautiful World.

Library

Drama: Extraordinary You

Drama: Moment of Eighteen

A part of being a student naturally requires spending some time studying. What better place to study than the library? The library is an important place where Eun Dan-oh (starring Kim Hye-yoon) discovers the truth about her identity in Extraordinary You. Choi Joon-woo (starring Ong Seong-wu) focuses on studying in the library as well in Moment of Eighteen.

Extracurricular Activities

Drama: Extraordinary You

Drama: Who Are You: School 2015

Well-rounded students take on extracurricular activities outside of studying. You can’t help but swoon when you see good-looking characters excel at a variety of skills. Lee Do-hwa (starring Jung Gun-joo) looks super handsome while playing the violin in Extraordinary You. Han Yi-han (starring Nam Joo-hyuk) is a star swimmer in Who Are You: School 2015.

Physical Education

Drama: Extraordinary You

Drama: Moment of Eighteen

Physical Education, also known as P.E., is a mandatory part of school so it’s no surprise that it appears in high school dramas as well. To amp up the drama, special sports events are often used in scenes. We see this on the field of Moment of Eighteen. Baek Kyung (starring Lee Jae-wook) and Eun Dan-oh (starring Kim Hye-yoon) participate in a three-legged race in Extraordinary You. It’s a nice change from their everyday school uniforms.

Dressing Casual

Drama: Inheritors

Drama: Reply 1988

Speaking of not wearing school uniforms, there are always scenes where we can see students dressed casually outside of school. Sometimes it leads to romantic scenes in an almond farm like in Inheritors or down-to-earth fun with friends in Reply 1988.

Dressing Up

Drama: Extracurricular

Drama: Extraordinary You

Other times, we can see characters dressed up for fancier occasions. This usually results in someone being stunned by the beautiful transformation and they end up seeing the other person in a different way. In Extracurricular, Oh Ji-soo (starring  Kim Dong-hee) is blown away by Bae Gyu-ri (starring  Park Ju-hyun) who is dolled up. Oh Nam-joo (starring  Kim Young-dae) puts on a spiffy bowtie in Extraordinary You.

Cafeteria 

Drama: Extraordinary You

Drama: Moment of Eighteen

You have to eat to fuel your brain and body for the school day, so there are plenty of cafeteria and lunch scenes in high school dramas. It’s always fun viewing appetizing meals that sometimes look better than our own lunches. Choi Joon-woo (starring Ong Seong-wu) eats a typical high school lunch in Moment of Eighteen. On the other hand, Eun Dan-oh (starring Kim Hye-yoon) and Ha-ru (starring Rowoon) enjoy a fancier lunch at their school in Extraordinary You.

Convenient Store

Drama: Beautiful World

Drama: Moment of Eighteen

Students typically don’t have a ton of cash, so they’ll opt for cheap and tasty eats at convenience stores when eating outside of school. Yoo Soo-bin (starring  Kim Hyang-gi) sits inside a one in Moment of Eighteen. You can also see high school students working at convenience stores like Han Dong-soo (starring  Seo Young-joo) in Beautiful World.

Bicycles

Drama: Love Alarm S1

Drama: Moment of Eighteen

High school students in Korea usually aren’t old enough to drive cars, so they’ll ride bikes or motorcycles instead. Kim Jo-jo (starring  Kim So-hyun) and Lee Hye-yeong (starring Jung Ga-ram) have a sweet bicycle ride in the snow in Love Alarm S1. Choi Joon-woo (starring Ong Seong-qu) uses his bike for transportation in Moment of Eighteen.

Buses

Drama: Love Alarm S1

Drama: Who Are You: School 2015

Not all students own and ride bikes, so buses are another common form of transportation for high school students. Being in close proximity with your crush can easily lead to heart-fluttering moments. Kim So-hyun shares a gentle moment with Nam Joo-hyuk on a bus in Who Are You: School 2015. She also stands with Song Kang at a bus stop while it’s raining in Love Alarm S1.

Which of the quintessential high school K-drama scenes do you like most? You can watch all of the mentioned shows on Netflix.