The Penthouse: War in Life
Soap & telenovelaHeightened, continuing melodrama.This show: 10/10RevengeVengeance as the driving motive.This show: 9/10Elites & privilegeThe rich and powerful, glamorous or rotten.This show: 9/10K-dramaKorean drama storytelling: emotional arcs, romance beats and format traditions.This show: 9/10Secrets & liesHidden truths straining every relationship.This show: 9/10Cliffhanger-drivenEngineered for the 'one more episode' effect.This show: 8/10CampyKnowingly over the top and enjoying every minute of its own excess.This show: 8/10Female perspectiveWomen's experience as the defining lens.This show: 8/10
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Starring
Kim So-yeonShin Eun-kyungUhm Ki-joonBong Tae-gyuYoon Joo-heeKim Young-dae
Starring
Kim So-yeonShin Eun-kyungUhm Ki-joonBong Tae-gyuYoon Joo-heeKim Young-dae
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
The Penthouse: War in Life Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | E13 | E14 | E15 | E16 | E17 | E18 | E19 | E20 | E21 | E22 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 7.8 | |
| S2 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 7.5 | 8.3 | |||||||||
| S3 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6.6 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 6.7 | 7.8 |
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About
"Soap opera excess with a body count"
Set in a luxury high-rise apartment building for Seoul's ultra-wealthy, the show follows a group of parents obsessed with status, their children's futures, and a murder that ties their secrets together. It plays out as pure, unapologetic melodrama: shocking reveals every episode, screaming confrontations, elaborate revenge schemes, and cliffhangers that escalate past the point of realism. The pacing never lets up and subtlety is not the point. It is trashy in the best sense, the kind of show you binge because you need to know what insane twist happens next.
Watch it for
the relentless, jaw-dropping twists that make every episode end on a cliffhanger.
Maybe skip if
you need grounded realism or dislike melodrama that escalates far past plausibility.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
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Season 12020
7.92K2224h 55m
The residents of Hera Palace, a luxury penthouse apartment with 100 floors, have many secrets and hidden ambitions. Sim Su Ryeon, who was born into wealth, is the queen of the penthouse apartment. Cheon Seo Jin, the prima donna of the residence, does all she can to give everything to her daughter. Oh Yoon Hee comes from a poor family background, but she strives to enter high society by becoming the queen of the penthouse, the pinnacle of success in her eyes.
▶
Season 22021
8.09331415h 27m
Seo Jin and Dan Tae eventually get rid of everyone who was in their way. They shamelessly frame Yoon Hee for the murder of Su Ryeon and even cover up the death of Seol A. The residents of Hera Palace believe everything will return to how it used to be. However, the tides change when Yoon Hee escapes prison and Eun Byeol discovers the truth. Their mysterious fates are still yet to be seen. Will they manage to protect their precious palace until the very end?
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Season 32021
6.79181619h 8m
Su Ryeon finally takes revenge on the residents of Hera Palace. They lost all of their money by investing in Cheonsoo District, and even worse, they stand before the court for covering up Seol A’s death. Those greedy residents of Hera Palace who caught themselves in their own traps end up losing their fortunes, reputations, and everything they had, and Su Ryeon succeeds in getting her revenge on Dan Tae who tried to kill her. When Su Ryeon thought the nightmare is finally over, she witnesses Logan’s death right before her eyes. Who could have planned to murder Logan, and what will happen to the residents of Hera Palace next? Their desire for revenge is not over yet.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Kim So-yeon Cheon Seo-jin
Shin Eun-kyung Kang Ma-ri
Uhm Ki-joon Joo Dan-tae
Bong Tae-gyu Lee Gyu-jin
Yoon Joo-hee Go Sang-ah
Kim Young-dae Joo Seok-hoon
Han Ji-Hyun Joo Seok-kyeong
Kim Hyeon-soo Bae Ro-na
Choi Ye-Bin Ha Eun-byeol
Yoon Jong-hoon Ha Yoon-chul
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