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On November 7, 2024, actor Kim Nam-gil's management, Gilstory Entertainment, revealed that he received an offer to appear in the webtoon-adapted drama, Get Schooled. They further shared that he is presently positively considering taking up the role of the main character, Na Hwa-jin, as his next project.
The news was met with mixed reactions from fans of the actor, considering how the original Naver Webtoon series, was discontinued and taken down from the platform. This was owing to allegedly racially insensitive content portrayed in the series which was pointed out by several readers.
However, this was not the only reason, as several other controversial issues reportedly evolved out of Get Schooled which upset audiences. During its previous serialization, the webtoon was disapproved of due to controversies involving teacher-endorsed corporal punishment of students and issues surrounding themes of feminism.
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When concerns gradually escalated over the racial deprecation issue, it first led to a long-term hiatus of the series and later the termination of its circulation in North America. This further raised apprehension about how a dramatization of the story would work out.
Hence, the news of Kim Nam-gil contemplating playing the protagonist in its live-action version was met with a split reaction among fans. One fan expressed concern on X and wrote:
"I heard this webtoon is controversial. so worried."
Several similar comments emerged as some fans of the star even wished that he would decline the part:
"I hope he forfeits. the webtoon is such a big mess," one fan wrote.
"I hope he rejects it that webtoon s*cks," another post read.
"The webtoon has many controversies tho that's why it's discontinued till now," noted one netizen.
Meanwhile, some expressed thrill at the prospect of witnessing Kim Nam-gil in the Get Schooled live-screen adaptation.
"IM SEATED," a comment said.
"Ooooh I know it will be awesome," another fan stated.
"Sounds exciting," an X-user wrote.
Get Schooled discontinued in the US owing to certain allegedly racially discriminatory content
Get Schooled, written by Chae Yong-taek and illustrated by Garam Han, tells the story of Na Hwa-jin who works at the Education Protection Agency as a field supervisor. He is a well-rounded individual, excelling in physical strength, and intellect. Thanks to his intimidating nature and absurd ways, he has been dubbed the "Grim Reaper," determined to uphold justice and peace.
In a society where teachers possess minimum authority due to which students cross boundaries, the webtoon introduces Na Hwa-jin, who is undaunted and iron-willed in his methods of bringing order to the wrongs of society.
While the initial tone of the webtoon contained themes of school bullying and putting a stop to it, the allegedly racially derogatory content in chapter 125 led to its discontinuation in the US. While it was indefinitely put on hold in South Korea, it has since made a return minus the controversial segment.
Chapter 125 of Get Schooled is set in a Korean rural school backdrop. The narrator considers himself the only "pure" Korean in his class. He faces bullying and racism from a Korean-Ethiopian character who himself gets bullied for his racial identity.
As a new Korean-American teacher enters the class, the bully then directs racially derogatory comments toward the former who also responds with an equally provocative comment. Apart from these, other insulting comments and actions were apparently included in the chapter.
An unauthorized translated version and screenshots of this controversial segment were leaked on social media. This ignited online discussions, as readers highlighted the alleged racial discrimination against both Asian and Black communities.
According to The Korea Herald's September 17, 2023, article, Naver Webtoon announced the canceled distribution of Get Schooled in the US via a social media update:
"The racist content has been removed from our platform. The series has been canceled and will not be returning in the US. It has also been suspended indefinitely from the Korean platform, while we conduct an internal review." (via The Korea Herald)
Naver Webtoon offered an apology in the wake of the discourse:
"It should never have been published and we deeply apologize to anyone who encountered it. Racism or racist content have no place on WEBTOON." (via The Korea Herald)
Meanwhile, the live-action series based on Get Schooled is set to be helmed by director Hong Jong-chan of tvN's Dear My Friends and Netflix's Juvenile Justice and Mr. Plankton.
More on Kim Nam-gil
Kim Nam-gil will be seen in his much-anticipated new drama, The Fiery Priest season 2 which airs its first episode on November 8 at 10 pm KST on SBS following the conclusion of The Judge from Hell. One can also catch The Fiery Priest season 2 on Disney+ Hotstar in selected regions.
