By Kaylyn Tu
July 30, 2026 · 4 min readIn the mid-way line of this year, the world was met with a thought-provoking drama on South Korea’s underlying issues of school bullying, and interestingly enough, the victims—unlike popular media depictions—are, by majority, classroom teachers.
Released on June 5th, Netflix’s recent blockbuster, “Teach You A Lesson,” was titled by Forbes as “one of the best dramas this year.” directed by Hong Jong-chan based on the Naver webtoon “Get Schooled” written by Chae Yong-taek and illustrated by Han Ga-ran. It amassed a record amount of 54.9 M global views within six weeks since release.
The series features a fictional uprising government agency set in Seoul, Korea, called the Education Rights Protection Bureau (ERPB), and was created by the fictional Minister of Education, Choi Gang-seok, who, after the tragic murder of his daughter by her very own student, fell into deep vengeance to protect the rights of Korean educators.
Through their signature corporal tactics of discipline, the rights protection agency brings light and justice to victims of cases of extreme school bullying while condemning the perpetrators by picking out the “bad apples” in controversial high schools. And while the show is known for its action-packed theme and quirky humor, the undertone reveals a corrupt depiction of society where the exaggerated portrayals of bullying reflects the reality faced by many educators in South Korea.
For instance, three years ago, on Monday, September 4th, 2023, the national assembly of Seoul was met with approximately 15,000 teachers, who all showed up to protest against the suicide of a 23-year-old elementary teacher.
The incident happened at Seoul Seoi Elementary School, where a young first-grade teacher was reportedly experiencing significant pressure while addressing conflicts between students, including an incident in which one student injured another with a pencil. Allegations later circulated that parents had repeatedly contacted and complained about the teacher, including through potentially malicious child-abuse accusations; however, the school denied that she was responsible for school-violence cases, and a police investigation found no evidence of criminal activity by the parents. Her death nevertheless ignited nationwide debates about legislative reforms to protect educators’ rights, prevent the misuse of child-abuse complaints, and support teachers’ mental health.
Subsequent to the protest, the number of reports soon dropped by late 2023, after the release of the Teacher Rights Restoration Bills. At the national level, Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Lee Ju-ho pledged to "decisively eliminate irrational systems and customs" to protect teachers during a meeting with educators at the Korean Federation of Teachers' Association (KFTA) office. The revision ended automatic suspensions after being filed for alleged child abuse, stripped parents of the ability to personally target teachers, and forced schools to take responsibility for the disputes, no longer letting victimized teachers fend for themselves.
Furthermore, preliminary government data also recorded 2,189 teacher-rights infringement cases in the first half of 2025 alone, suggesting that while legal reforms have eased some pressures on educators, the reality depicted in the series remains far from resolved.
Despite being based in South Korea, the series managed to resonate with millions of international audiences, reaching Netflix's Global Top 10 in 91 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, India, France, Germany, Australia, Mexico, and Brazil. Viewers universally connect with its heartbreaking portrayal of victims struggling to endure the unjust reality of a system where authority favors power over the truth.
Following this is perhaps “Teach You A Lesson”’s most unforgettable line, a quote that encloses its central theme, delivered by Kim Mu-yeol in his role as Na Hwa-jin.
“A world where adults are afraid of children is a world nearing its end.”
Instead of blaming children alone, the quote reminds us of the responsibility of the adults who shape them. The blockbuster may have broken media records, but its impact goes far beyond the screen. Restoring respect for educators is not about granting them more power; it is about guiding society to a future where schools are no longer led by fear, but by firm compassion.
Until that happens, the people entrusted with educating the next generation of brilliant minds should remain the ones most in need of protection.
