Actress Jin Kijoo shared a super fun update on her growing global popularity right now.
If you've been keeping up, 'Teach You a Lesson' has been killing it since it came out on the 5th, consistently holding down the #1 spot on Netflix’s charts. The series follows the story of Education Rights Protection Bureau as they try to restore order to a completely collapsing education system. To celebrate the release, TV Report met up with Jin Kijoo for an interview at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Let's be real, 'Teach You a Lesson' was surrounded by drama before it even dropped. The original webtoon faced heavy criticism over allegations of sexism and racism, and they even had to replace the lead actor, which made the whole production process pretty messy. Given all that, everyone was wondering what actually made Jin Kijoo choose this project.
She explained, "I really liked the clear premise that victims are protected. Sometimes in our society, things that should be obvious aren't treated as such. Reading the script gave me a sense of relief in that regard. I also trusted that the writer would tell this story in a warm and thoughtful way, and I had great confidence in the director."
Jin Kijoo also admitted that working on this project completely opened her eyes to how harsh schools actually are these days. She shared, "Even when watching the same news as everyone else, I found myself paying much more attention whenever there was a story related to education." She added:
"Sometimes, I felt reality was even harsher than the drama. So much has changed compared to when I was a student. As we prepared for the project, I would share such articles with the cast whenever I came across it."
Despite all the early concerns, the show has officially turned into a massive global hit, ranking #1 worldwide for three consecutive weeks and completely stealing viewers hearts.
Naturally, the interviewer had to ask if she's been obsessively checking her social media followers now that international fans are flooding in. Jin Kijoo laughed and totally admitted:
"I do find myself checking the number of my followers. It's fascinating when I wake up and see the number has changed from the day before. An international fan even created a chronological timeline of my life, including what I did before becoming an actress. I found that incredibly fascinating."
When asked about the most memorable reaction she's gotten so far, Jin Kijoo shared a really emotional story, "A friend shared one with me. His mother and wife are both teachers. He said they watched the show in tears. I heard this shortly after the realy, so it has stayed with me." She added:
"'Teach You a Lesson' is realistic, yet blended with elements of fantasy. It can make you laugh and cry, and then cry and laugh again. I think that's why people are responding so positively to it."
Regarding the core message of the show, Jin Kijoo shared her thoughts, "There's a line spoken by my character, Im Hanrim: 'The Education Rights Protection Bureau sincerely cares about victims.' I think that line represents what the series wants to say. It's also something that every single character carries deep in their heart."
The globally popular 'Teach You a Lesson' is currently streaming on Netflix if you want to see what all the hype is about!
