High Society (2018) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story primarily takes place in Seoul, South Korea, where a university professor and gallery director navigate power, politics, and prestige. Key scenes also unfold in Paris, France, particularly during a pivotal affair that highlights the international art world's scrutiny.

• seoul
• south korea
• setting
• locations
• paris

The film is set in the contemporary era, present-day Korea, where media exposure and political maneuvering shape careers. Characters navigate modern forms of influence including fundraising, corporate deals, and art-world reputation.

• contemporary
• modern
• time period
• present day

The movie explores three interconnected themes: Power, which drives characters to seek status through politics and manipulation; Public Image, where reputation becomes currency and scandals shape careers; and Ethics, testing moral boundaries as characters compromise values to climb higher.

• themes
• power
• ambition
• public image
• ethics
• corruption

Jang Tae-jun is a respected university professor at Seoul National University who pursues a political career in the National Assembly. He is disciplined and strategic, willing to use others and bend ethics to secure power, representing a pragmatic yet flawed idealist torn between principled public acts and morally dubious private dealings.

• jang tae-jun
• professor
• politician
• character
• motivation

Oh Su-yeon is the deputy gallery director who channels her ambition into strategic alliances and risky affairs. She orchestrates moves to advance her husband's political career and ultimately makes a provocative public confession that exposes systemic corruption within elite circles.

• oh su-yeon
• gallery director
• ambition
• character
• manipulation

The film depicts power as something earned, traded, and guarded within institutions like universities, galleries, and political parties. Corporate backing and political alliances reveal the cynical mechanics behind public success, showing how ambition depends on manipulation, sacrifice, and willingness to bend rules.

• power
• politics
• corruption
• ambition
• institutions

The narrative treats reputation as currency, with scandals and staged performances actively shaping how characters are perceived. The sex tape and art piece become weapons for leverage, while media scrutiny amplifies every choice, pressuring characters to perform for public audiences.

• public image
• reputation
• scandal
• media
• performance

Moral boundaries are tested as characters trade favors, secrets, and compromises to advance their positions. The film critically questions whether success justifies corrupt means, including coercive deals and surveillance, ultimately exposing the hollowness of elite culture through confessions and reversals.

• ethics
• morality
• corruption
• compromise
• consequences

The art world serves as both a backdrop and weapon in the narrative, with galleries and cultural institutions forming part of the elite infrastructure. The line between art and exploitation blurs as personal desires become public spectacle, with art pieces being used as tools for manipulation and leverage.

• art
• gallery
• art world
• culture
• exploitation

The characters move through Seoul's elite cultural institutions, the university, galleries, and political circles, where glamour masks darker realities. This world operates on transactional relationships, with power plays and public scandals defining success and survival.

• elite
• seoul
• society
• environment
• world