The National Secondary School Teachers' Union expresses regret over academic scenes in ‘The Midnight Romance in Hagwon,' demanding re-examination

Wi Ha-joon and Jung Ryo-won’s new drama, The Midnight Romance in Hagwon, has found itself amid a controversy. A lot of viewers have alleged that the series displays content that might be inappropriate in certain ways. As a measure against this, The National Middle and High School Teachers' Association demanded the re-examination of some of these sequences for various reasons.

Naver reported this on May 13, 2024. The content in question was regarding the education system in general, and hence the above-mentioned authority had to step in. The association's statement read, in part:

"We are trying to shed light on the lives and loves of academy instructors and owners of blind spots who have always been with us but have never been looked at in depth."

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The Midnight Romance in Hagwon faces criticism from viewers

The National Middle and High School Teachers' Association of Korea has expressed disappointment over how the specific retesting incident was portrayed in the new tvN weekend drama The Midnight Romance in Hagwon, featuring Wi Ha-joon and Jung Ryeo-won.

In an official statement, the association conveyed regret over the depiction of the incident in episode 1 of the series, which aired on May 11.

This scene depicts the main character, a female school teacher, who advises students and their parents to challenge exam questions they find unfair. She promises to speak to the school's research director about their concerns.

She demands a re-examination, claiming that old exam questions that were removed from a standardized test were included. As a result of these actions, the school receives numerous complaints and decides to hold a new exam.

Throughout this process, lines like "What if I get caught cheating?" "If you think about the answer during the exam, don't change it," and "The old questions vanished from the standardized test" reveal that the school's curriculum and evaluation system in The Midnight Romance in Hagwon is heavily influenced by the entrance exam.

This indicates a failure to deeply consider the purpose of secondary education and the challenges faced by teachers who strive to adhere to the curriculum under difficult circumstances. Furthermore, a male character in the series tries to defend his viewpoint but resorts to physical violence against the female protagonist, whom he calls a "parasite."

Despite her intentions to help a student in distress, she is overpowered by the male teacher's aggression. By portraying this confrontation between the victimized female instructor and the aggressive male teacher, the play offers a contrasting perspective.

The association raised questions about The Midnight Romance in Hagwon's intention behind portraying the scene, which aims to shed light on the lives and love of certain individuals, particularly academy instructors.

They questioned whether the exaggerated settings in the drama were necessary and if they might lead to misunderstandings or biased thinking about the public education scene.

As per a translation obtained via Naver, the association's statement was:

"We express great regret over the content related to the incident. Excessive portrayal and setting of the content in the play can lower the morale of teachers who are on the front line of public education and are responsible for teaching the rising generation, and may create a distorted view of the Korean public education scene not only in Korea but also in viewers around the world."

Furthermore, the association pointed out specific dialogues in The Midnight Romance in Hagwon, where the male protagonist, an academy instructor, encourages students and their guardians to raise objections to test questions and demands a retest by contacting the school's research director.

They criticized the portrayal of a female character who suffers unilateral damage from the physical violence of a male teacher, emphasizing how such depictions could contribute to a biased view among viewers.

In response to these concerns, the association expressed hope that the remaining broadcasts of The Midnight Romance in Hagwon would provide empathy, comfort, and meaningful catharsis to teachers involved in public education, not only in Korea but also to people worldwide. They emphasized the importance of maintaining the drama's status as content with a positive and healthy influence.