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"I look forward to teaching you a lesson"
Teach You a Lesson took on the South Korean school universe leveling criticism on both sides of the podium and both sides of the front door. When it came to incompetent and/or corrupt teachers, ineffectual and/or harmful laws, bullies-both child and parental---Na Hwa Jin and his team were primed to slap people awake or into shape.
Education Minister Choi Gang Seok, former special forces officer Na Hwa Jin, Na’s former subordinate Im Han Rim, and IT specialist Bong Geun Dae comprise the Educational Rights Protection Bureau team. The ERPB has immunity and special privileges when it comes to teaching students, teachers, school admin, and parents a lesson. The team hopes to decrease student and teacher suicides…and murders. They seek to make bullies understand how it feels to be bullied, show them the consequences of their actions and hold them accountable. Na takes a very hands-on approach with physical bullies. The team also deals with those bullied by social media, false police reports, or corrupt teachers gaming the system to line their wallets. Na and his crew use their special skill sets to bring justice for the innocent and punishment to the guilty, always with the desire to help the students and teachers do their best.
The drama sought to highlight a separate danger to students, teachers, and the school system in each episode. I quite liked the episodic quality as it kept certain stories from dragging on too long. In the first two episodes Na used restrained physical force which was a bit jarring, but I’m sure also cathartic for the students around the world who have been brutally bullied with no recourse. The cure might not have been realistic, but the disease unfortunately was and is. I also didn’t mind that the bad guys were often easily vanquished. Opposition to the bureau was shown but Minister Choi always kept his cool and refused to back down from protecting the innocent.
Due to the varied nature of the stories, different episodes will appeal more to different people. There were darker episodes where the bullies drove students to suicide. One episode left me laughing to the point of tears as the tables were turned on an adult bully. The drama was never subtle in their accusations as there wasn’t time to delicately beat around the bush. It also didn’t pretend that what the team did in the schools would resolve all the problems. Physical and emotional violence are complex social issues that require complex solutions. The weak job market and crushing pressure to be accepted into a good university put the students and parents through an emotional wringer for years. Even when laws had been enacted to protect students, both student and adult bullies used them as weapons against the innocent or to escape punishment. Students, teachers, admin, parents, and politicians were told they would have to be responsible for taking the next steps to improving the learning and life experience for all involved.
There were only a few things that truly bothered me. The age discrepancies while obvious are just a part of the genre going back to Grease or Steve Buscemi going undercover in 30 Rock, “How do you do, fellow kids?” Im was brought on to meet crazy with crazy but her screaming caused my eardrums to bleed. The total immunity clause was truly problematic for a country that not that long ago dealt with secret police who tortured and disappeared dissident students all in the name of national security. The immunity issue could very quickly lead down a disastrous path and was a huge red flag for me. And the story regarding the murdered teacher ended up making her look unbearably naïve at best and idiotic at worst. Her actions could have been interpreted as stalking or sexual harassment. When she was presented with evidence of a crime, she didn’t report it and confronted the person in an isolated area. Instead of the angelic representation, she looked like a walking, talking billboard for how to not handle the situation.
While Teach You a Lesson sought to highlight very serious problems in the school system it was also laugh out loud funny on numerous occasions. Most people know someone who was mercilessly bullied and the justice meted out was cathartic to see bullies finally get their due. The fight scenes were well choreographed and Kim Mu Yeol was believable as the Man in Black with the send the perp flying slap. Much like Taxi Driver or Leverage, TYaL was wish fulfillment, that a team could come in and easily right wrongs, stand up against the wealthy and powerful, and bring peace to students who had enough stress studying as it was. Maybe not a role model, but an entertaining drama with a world where the shameless were held accountable for their actions.
14 June 2026
Trigger warnings: Suicide and attempted suicide. Drug usage. Gambling. There was also a bone crunching fight scene with non-students.
Education Minister Choi Gang Seok, former special forces officer Na Hwa Jin, Na’s former subordinate Im Han Rim, and IT specialist Bong Geun Dae comprise the Educational Rights Protection Bureau team. The ERPB has immunity and special privileges when it comes to teaching students, teachers, school admin, and parents a lesson. The team hopes to decrease student and teacher suicides…and murders. They seek to make bullies understand how it feels to be bullied, show them the consequences of their actions and hold them accountable. Na takes a very hands-on approach with physical bullies. The team also deals with those bullied by social media, false police reports, or corrupt teachers gaming the system to line their wallets. Na and his crew use their special skill sets to bring justice for the innocent and punishment to the guilty, always with the desire to help the students and teachers do their best.
The drama sought to highlight a separate danger to students, teachers, and the school system in each episode. I quite liked the episodic quality as it kept certain stories from dragging on too long. In the first two episodes Na used restrained physical force which was a bit jarring, but I’m sure also cathartic for the students around the world who have been brutally bullied with no recourse. The cure might not have been realistic, but the disease unfortunately was and is. I also didn’t mind that the bad guys were often easily vanquished. Opposition to the bureau was shown but Minister Choi always kept his cool and refused to back down from protecting the innocent.
Due to the varied nature of the stories, different episodes will appeal more to different people. There were darker episodes where the bullies drove students to suicide. One episode left me laughing to the point of tears as the tables were turned on an adult bully. The drama was never subtle in their accusations as there wasn’t time to delicately beat around the bush. It also didn’t pretend that what the team did in the schools would resolve all the problems. Physical and emotional violence are complex social issues that require complex solutions. The weak job market and crushing pressure to be accepted into a good university put the students and parents through an emotional wringer for years. Even when laws had been enacted to protect students, both student and adult bullies used them as weapons against the innocent or to escape punishment. Students, teachers, admin, parents, and politicians were told they would have to be responsible for taking the next steps to improving the learning and life experience for all involved.
There were only a few things that truly bothered me. The age discrepancies while obvious are just a part of the genre going back to Grease or Steve Buscemi going undercover in 30 Rock, “How do you do, fellow kids?” Im was brought on to meet crazy with crazy but her screaming caused my eardrums to bleed. The total immunity clause was truly problematic for a country that not that long ago dealt with secret police who tortured and disappeared dissident students all in the name of national security. The immunity issue could very quickly lead down a disastrous path and was a huge red flag for me. And the story regarding the murdered teacher ended up making her look unbearably naïve at best and idiotic at worst. Her actions could have been interpreted as stalking or sexual harassment. When she was presented with evidence of a crime, she didn’t report it and confronted the person in an isolated area. Instead of the angelic representation, she looked like a walking, talking billboard for how to not handle the situation.
While Teach You a Lesson sought to highlight very serious problems in the school system it was also laugh out loud funny on numerous occasions. Most people know someone who was mercilessly bullied and the justice meted out was cathartic to see bullies finally get their due. The fight scenes were well choreographed and Kim Mu Yeol was believable as the Man in Black with the send the perp flying slap. Much like Taxi Driver or Leverage, TYaL was wish fulfillment, that a team could come in and easily right wrongs, stand up against the wealthy and powerful, and bring peace to students who had enough stress studying as it was. Maybe not a role model, but an entertaining drama with a world where the shameless were held accountable for their actions.
14 June 2026
Trigger warnings: Suicide and attempted suicide. Drug usage. Gambling. There was also a bone crunching fight scene with non-students.
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