SEOUL, South Korea — The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), also known as JeonGyoJo, is calling for the cancellation of the upcoming Netflix drama Get Schooled, citing concerns over its portrayal of violence and misrepresentation of the education system.
In a public statement released on May 20 titled “Violence Is Not True Education,” the union criticized the series for glorifying school violence and undermining the professional integrity of teachers. The group called on Netflix and the production team to halt development of the show, which is based on a popular Naver webtoon.
The union argued that the original webtoon sensationalizes conflicts between students, parents, and educators, and portrays teachers as “incompetent and passive.” It also raised concern over the storyline’s central character, a government official who uses violence against students in the name of protecting teacher rights.
“By legitimizing violence through a state-backed character, the show damages trust in democratic conflict resolution in schools and distorts efforts to foster a human rights-based education system,” the statement read.
KTU emphasized that promoting violence under the pretext of defending teachers erodes students’ rights and sends the wrong message about public education. While acknowledging the importance of creative freedom, the union urged content creators to recognize their social responsibility and the broader influence of their work.
Get Schooled, written by Yong-taek Chae and illustrated by Ga-ram Han, follows Na Hwa-jin, an officer from the Ministry of Education’s Teacher Protection Bureau. After a law banning corporal punishment is enacted, Na enforces order through aggressive tactics, raising questions about justice, discipline, and authority in the school system.
Since its debut on Naver Webtoon in November 2020, the series has sparked both praise and controversy. While some readers were drawn to its bold narrative and themes of state power, others criticized it for reinforcing harmful stereotypes, particularly in its portrayal of marginalized groups, and for resolving conflict primarily through violence.
The live-action adaptation is being directed by Jong-chan Hong (Juvenile Justice, Mr. Plankton) and written by Nam-kyu Lee (Behind Your Touch, The Light in Your Eyes). Director Hong has acknowledged the criticisms and pledged to handle the adaptation with “greater sensitivity and care.”
The original webtoon was previously available in English via WEBTOON Entertainment but has since been removed from the platform. It is currently being released in print by Ablaze Publishing.
Netflix has not yet issued an official response to the union’s statement.
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