[Interview] "Teach You a Lesson" Hong Jong-chan, "All Based on My Imagination"

Director Hong Jong-chan of "Teach You a Lesson" shared his thoughts on the response to the series.

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On June 11, an interview with Hong was held in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, following the success of the Netflix series "Teach You a Lesson".

The series depicts the activities of the Teacher Rights Protection Bureau, an organization created to restore order to South Korea's struggling education system, where boundaries are often crossed by students, teachers, and parents. It is based on the webtoon of the same name.

However, the original webtoon had previously been criticized for alleged sexism and racism, leading to concerns about its adaptation into a drama. Despite those concerns, True Education has surpassed expectations, reaching No. 1 on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English TV Shows chart and receiving strong support both in Korea and abroad.

The response from the education community has also been significant. The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) stated that the drama reflects the reality of classroom collapse and urged the government and politicians to take more active steps to strengthen protections for teachers' rights.

Regarding this reaction, Hong Jong-chan commented, "There are responses not only from teachers but also from parents and ordinary citizens. I think it's a good thing that a variety of opinions are being expressed". He added, "I haven't read the KFTA's statement myself, but I am aware that they released one".

Several of the drama's ten episodes have drawn comparisons to real-life incidents, including the death of a teacher at Seo-i Elementary School and the Sookmyung Girls' High School twins cheating scandal.

Addressing those comparisons, Hong Jong-chan said, "There are probably many cases and incidents of a similar nature". He continued, "You could say that we created these stories through imagination. Some elements were also present in the original webtoon. The fact that viewers can relate them to real events may simply reflect how many similar situations exist in our society. Rather than focusing on any one specific case, these kinds of incidents tend to recur".

Although "Teach You a Lesson" focuses on problems within Korean schools, it has attracted strong interest from international audiences as well.

Hong explained, "I think the issues and relationships that unfold within a school setting are similar regardless of the country. That may be why people around the world have connected with the story". He added, "As one of the lines in our series says, 'It takes a village to raise a child'. I believe that idea is universal and resonates no matter where you are in the world".

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"Teach You a Lesson" is directed by Hong Jong-chan, written by Kim Da-hee-II, Lee Nam-gyoo, Moon Jong-ho-I, and features Kim Mu-yeol, Lee Sung-min, Jin Ki-joo, Pyo Ji-hoon, Kim Jong-soo, Jin Hui-gyu. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2026/06/05, Fri on Netflix.