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Korean Politician Calls for Debate on Educational Rights Protection Bureau After Watching Webtoon-Based Live-Action Series Teach You A Lesson
posted on by Wonhee Cho
Gyeonggi Province superintendent-elect Min-seok Ahn, a five-term lawmaker, called for a public debate on establishing an “Educational Rights Protection Bureau” after watching Netflix's webtoon-based live-action series Teach You A Lesson.
Ahn, who was elected in the June 3 election as a member of the Democratic Party, said in a Facebook post on June 12 that he had finished all 10 episodes of the drama. While acknowledging the series' “violent and exaggerated elements,” he noted that it reflects the serious reality of declining school authority.
“There must be a reason why so many teachers and parents are watching Teach You A Lesson,” Ahn said, emphasizing that rebuilding trust within school communities is a pressing issue.
He also shared a recent proposal from a policy researcher at the Democratic Party's think tank suggesting the creation of a similar bureau under the Ministry of Education, adding that restoring teachers' authority should be treated as an urgent priority.
Ahn proposed the idea of a “Gyeonggi-style Educational Rights Protection Bureau,” describing it as an initiative aimed at restoring school communities to where “students look forward to attending school, teachers are respected, and parents feel secure.” He invited public feedback on the proposal.
Released on Netflix on June 5, Teach You A Lesson quickly gained global attention, topping the platform's non-English Global TV rankings for the week of June 1-7 and the week of June 8-14.
The series is based on the webtoon Get Schooled, which has been serialized on Naver Webtoon since November 2020. The webtoon tells the story of Hwa-jin Na, an officer from the Ministry of Education's Teacher Protection Bureau, who takes matters into his own hands to restore order in schools following the passage of a law banning corporal punishment. The series explores the challenges of maintaining authority in schools and delivering justice.
While the original webtoon gained attention for its satisfying narratives driven by strong state power, it also drew criticism for portraying marginalized groups such as women and people of color as villains, often resolving conflict through violence.
Last year, The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), also known as JeonGyoJo, had publicly opposed the production of the Netflix series adaptation, calling for its cancellation due to concerns over its portrayal of violence and the education system.
Get Schooled is written by Yong-taek Chae and drawn by Ga-ram Han.
Ablaze Publishing is releasing the series in print. WEBTOON Entertainment previously released part the series in English digitally, but has since removed the title from its service.
Source: Joong-ang Ilbo (Hye-jung Jeong)
