Dream High tells the story of six students at Kirin Art High School who work to achieve their dreams of becoming music stars in the Korean music industry. Go Hye Mi is a student who had majored in classical music but has to give up her dream by entering Kirin Art High School to pay off her father’s debt. However, she needs to get two other students to also come to the school in order for her to enroll in the school conditionally. These two students are Song Sam Dong, who lives in the countryside, and Jin Guk, whom she accidentally meets while trying to escape from a loan shark. Yoon Baek Hee, formerly Hyemi’s sidekick, becomes her rival in school because Hye Mi betrays her during an audition to enter the school.

Main Characters

GO HYE-MI (played by Bae Su-ji, aka Suzy)

The main character of this story is Go Hye Mi. In the beginning of the story she is portrayed as a cold-hearted girl who humiliates her best friend Yoon Baek Hee in an attempt to save herself in the audition to be accepted into Kirin Arts School. Due to her bad attitude she is not accepted until later as one of the director's special students. As her character develops throughout the story Hye Mie grows from being a mean, stuck up snob to a strong, caring, and forgiving individual. Both Song Sam Dong and Jin Guk are in love with her and she has a hard time choosing between the two men. Song Sam Dong is who she has fun with with while Jin Guk is the one she sympathizes with. In episode ten, Jin Guk and Hyemi kiss after he explains his betrayal to her. In the end, she has chosen Sam Dong. The ending, was where they kissed and said there goodbyes to one another. Originally from a wealthy family, after her mother's death, her father's business failed and their family fell into debt and his father went to other countries. She is pursued by debt collector Ma Doo Shik and his men for much in the beginning.

SONG SAM DONG (played by Kim Soo Hyun, aka Soohyun)

Song Sam Dong is a country bumpkin who follows Hye Mi to Seoul. He originally didn't want to go since he really loves his mother and doesn't originally want to leave her to come to Kirin High School. He is a musical genius, but he is naive and has a hearing problem. Sam Dong is in love with Hye Mi and he defends her when her schoolmates turn on her, but starts to regret all that he has done for her when he realizes Hye Mi has feelings for Jin Guk. Hyemi gives him a make over where he transforms into a "hottie" and he gets a haircut that resembles Jin Guk's. He eventually become a famous singer. Song Sam Dong is a naive country boy who follows Hye Mi to Seoul after falling in love with her. He has an exceptional innate musical aptitude without any formal training. Hye Mi gives him a make over where he transforms into a "hottie" and he gets a haircut that resembles Jin Guk's.

JIN GOOK / HYUN SHI HYUK (played by Ok Taec Yeon, aka Taecyeon)

Jin Guk/Hyun Si Hyuk is a childhood friend of Go Hye Mi and he constantly tries to help her. He tries to get Hyemi to remember their childhood memories. He excels primarily at dancing and rapping. He sings a balled for his showcase song called My Valentine. He is in a love triangle with Go Hye Mi and Yoon Baek Hee. Because he performed with Baek Hee at the Showcase he has debuted with one of Korea's top entertainment agency's. After debuting, he realizes that he is in love with Hye Mi and that she is who he wishes to be with. Hye Mi is angry at Jin Guk because he made his debut as a solo artist when he promised that he would debut with her on the same stage. Jin Guk must deal with the fact that his father will not accept Jin Guk for who he is and tried tried to force him to study abroad. In the end Jin Guk realizes that Hye Mi is in love with Sam Song Dong and let's go of her. He tells her that they will always be best friends. After performing with Baek Hee at the music showcase, he debuts with one of Korea's top entertainment agencies as a member of a group called "Group K".

YOON BAEK-HEE (played by Ham Eun-jung, aka Eunjung)

After being hurt by Go Hye Mi's betrayal, she tries to get her revenge against Hye Mi by becoming her biggest rival. She is shaken when she realizes Go Hye Mi doesn't want to be rivals and just wants to be friends. She also has a crush on Jin Guk and is jealous that he likes Hye Mi. She becomes friends with Hye Mi again later on. Baek Hee is Hye Mi's best friend and sidekick at their old school, but she is betrayed by Hye Mi during the Kirin School audition. She is devastated by the betrayal and becomes Hye Mi's biggest rival. She is surprised and confused when she discovers that Hye Mi is apologetic for her actions and wants to be friends again. She has a crush on Jin Guk and is jealous of Hye Mi, who holds his attentions.

JASON (played by Jang Woo-young, aka Wooyoung)

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Jason is an American exchange student who excels mainly in dancing. He has good manners, but doesn't show much enthusiasm. He originally does not like Pil Suk as much as she likes him but after his debut, their relationship is unclear. According to Pil Suk, he has no goals in life. This makes Jason realise, and he starts working hard so Pil Suk will once again like him again. He eventually begins to realize he likes Pil-Suk. At first he is shy about showing his affection towards Pil Suk, but after becoming jealous he finally admits to Pil Suk. He is courteous and has good manners, leading to misunderstandings with Pil Suk, who believes that he does this because he likes her.

KIM PIL SOOK (played by Lee Ji Eun, aka IU)

She is a girl with a beautiful voice but is overweight. She has a major crush on Jason who has rejected her. She vows in 200 days she would lose 30kg while the time he is away from school doing K activities. She does lose 30kg after that 200 day period and Jason becomes attracted to the new, skinnier, Pil Suk. The two then express their feelings for each other after both misunderstand and become jealous. After fighting and bickering with one another. They started to open up to one another. In the end, you could see them in the crowd, with Pil Suk's head on Jason's shoulder. Kim Pil Suk first appears as a girl wearing a sushi mascot costume during the auditions. She is a girl with a beautiful voice and perfect pitch but is overweight. She has a major crush on Jason, and leaves a lollipop on his locker every day.

Jo Young Min as Jo Hyun Tae

In Sung's younger brother. He is quiet at class but very talkative at home. He is the childhood friend of Jin Sook/Hyun Si Hyun, Jin Gook/Hyun Si Hyuk's younger sister. He secretly likes her but missed his chance during his freshman year in high school. Later on, he met her at Kirin Art High School, and told her he likes her.

Ahn Ji Hyun as Jin Sook/Hyun Si Hyun

Hyun Tae's childhood friend, his girlfriend and Jin Gook's sister. She studied abroad before coming to Kirin Art High School, where she meets her childhood friend, Hyun Tae. After she left Korea, her brother's life was in a mess. She decided to come back and help Jin Gook. She meets Hyun Tae during her audition to enter Kirin Art High School. When she and Hyun Tae were enrolled, she asked him for forgiveness for leaving him. Hyun Tae gladly forgives her and she finally confessed that she too likes him.

Nam Ji Hyeon as Jasmine

Jason's younger sister who stayed in Korea for half a year. When her brother came, she was so happy to see him. She secretly likes Jo Hyun Jae.

F4 (2NE1)

The younger sisters of Shinhwa High's F4. They are Goo Joon Yup, So Yi Sung, Yoon Ji Woo, and Song Soo Bin. They are the total opposites of their older brothers. These girls are totally kind and very helpful.... Get to know them more and you'll turn them all into your best friends!!!

Extended cast

Ahn Kil Kang as Ma Doo Shik
Ahn Sun Young as Kang Oh Sun (Oh Hyuk’s older sister)
Ahn Seo Hyun as Go Hye Sung (Hye Mi’s little sister)
- Park Eun Bin as 16 year old Hye Sung (ep 16)
Lee Hye Sook as Song Nam Boon (Sam Dong’s mother)
Choi Il Hwa as Hyun Moo Jin (Jin Gook’s father)
Park Hyuk Kwon (박혁권) as Go Byung Jik (Hye Mi’s father)
Park Hwi Soon as Jin Gook’s roommate (ep 1,2,5)

Cameos

Jo Soo Mi (조수미) as herself (ep 1)
Kim Hyun Joong as himself (ep 1)
Nichkhun as Ri Ah’s CF partner (ep
Hwang Chan Sung as Oh Sun’s imaginary boy (ep 12)
Lee Teuk as himself (ep 13)
Eun Hyuk as himself (ep 13)
Miss A as flash mob dancers (ep 16)
2AM as flash mob dancers (ep 16)
Dal Shabet as Baek Hee’s Kirin students (ep 16)
Goo Joon Yup

Kirin’s Teachers

Uhm Ki Joon as Kang Oh Hyuk
Lee Yoon Ji as Shi Kyung Jin
Park Jin Young (박진영) as Yang Jin Man (English teacher)
Lee Byung Joon as Shi Bum Soo (Principal)
Lee Yoon Mi as Maeng Seung Hee
Baek Won Kil (백원길) as Gong Min Chul
Bae Yong Joon as Jung Ha Myung (President) (ep 1-4)
Joo Young Hoon (주영훈) as composing teacher (ep 11)

Kirin’s Students

Jun Ah Min as Jo In Sung (Jin Gook’s friend/Hyun Tae's older brother)
Jung Min Joo (정민주) as Jung Ah Jung
Han Ji Hoo as Park Do Joon (sunbae)
Yoon Young Ah as Lee Ri Ah
Park Jin Sang (박진상) as Jun Tae San (sunbae)
Kim Bo Reum as Ha So Hyun (sunbae)
Bae Noo Ri (배누리)

More characters to come!!!