The new Netflix K-drama Teach You a Lesson arrived on June 5, 2026, and the first episode does not hold back. Based on the popular webtoon Get Schooled, the show follows Na Hwa-jin (Kim Moo-yul), an inspector from the Korean Educational Rights Protection Bureau (ERPB). His job gives him the power to punish school bullies using any method he chooses. The premiere episode sets up the show’s dark and controversial tone right away.
A Studentโs Death Opens the Episode
The episode begins with a tragic moment. Gyeong-min (Lee Chan-yong), a student at Daehan High School, watches his classmate Park Dae-seok (Jung Soo-hyun) jump from the school building and end his life. A flashback shows how Dae-seok became a target for the bullies. He tried to stand up for a temporary teacher when Jun-hyeong (Lee Seung-gyu) acted rude in class. After that moment, Jun-hyeong and his friends made Dae-seok their new victim.
Jun-hyeong comes from a powerful family. His father, Assemblyman Ryu Kwang-pil (Song Young-kyu), is a presidential candidate. The teachers at Daehan High stay silent because they fear the family’s influence. Gyeong-min hopes the police will arrest the bullies after Dae-seok’s death. But nothing changes. Jun-hyeong and his friends keep tormenting other students. Gyeong-min becomes the new target and almost jumps from the roof himself but steps back at the last moment.
Hwa-jin Makes a Brutal First Entrance
One day, Gwang-su, one of Jun-hyeong’s friends, beats Gyeong-min badly in the school hallway. Other students walk past and ignore what is happening. That is when Na Hwa-jin makes his entrance. He grabs Gwang-su and beats him without hesitation. Jun-hyeong tries to warn Hwa-jin that he cannot use violence against students. He tells everyone to record the incident on their phones.
Hwa-jin does not care. He hits Gwang-su again and introduces himself as an inspector from the ERPB. The principal arrives and tries to warn Hwa-jin about Jun-hyeong’s background. Hwa-jin refuses to back down. He accuses the school staff of bribing the police to close Dae-seok’s su*cide case quickly. Then he demands to become the homeroom teacher of Jun-hyeong’s class.
The ERPBโs Real Power Gets Revealed
Minister Choi Gang-seok (Lee Sung-min), the Minister of Education, created the ERPB. He gives Hwa-jin full authority to handle school violence cases. Hwa-jin works with two other investigators: Im Han-rim (Jin Ki-joo), a former special forces officer, and Bong Geun-dae (Pyo Ji-hoon, also known as P.O. from Block B). Together, they operate outside normal school rules.
Hwa-jin walks into the classroom and asks about Dae-seok. When one student makes a joke about the death, Hwa-jin beats him. He then makes the entire class hold a plank position as punishment. Jun-hyeong refuses to obey. Hwa-jin slaps him and forces him to join the others.
At lunch, Jun-hyeong tries to cut the food line. He contaminates the food with his bare hands to show he does not care about rules. Hwa-jin kicks him into a trash can, wipes his face with a dirty mop, and orders him to clean the entire cafeteria. The other students start laughing at Jun-hyeong for the first time.
Assemblyman Ryu Tries to Fight Back
Jun-hyeong goes home instead of cleaning the classroom. Hwa-jin follows him to his house and confronts Assemblyman Ryu. Jun-hyeong lies and claims Hwa-jin has been harassing him. The assemblyman warns Hwa-jin to stay away from his son. Hwa-jin ignores him and drags Jun-hyeong back to school to finish his punishment.
Jun-hyeong fakes an injury by smashing his own head against a toilet bowl. The next day, Assemblyman Ryu storms into the school and accuses Hwa-jin of assault. He demands that Minister Choi shut down the ERPB immediately. He threatens to destroy the minister’s career.
Hwa-jin Saves Gyeong-min From Jumping
While all this is happening, Jun-hyeong’s friends attack Gyeong-min again. They accuse him of reporting them to the ERPB. Gyeong-min runs to the roof and prepares to jump, just like Dae-seok did. Hwa-jin arrives in time and pulls him back to safety. He tells Gyeong-min to stop blaming himself and start fighting back.
Minister Choi Destroys Assemblyman Ryu
Assemblyman Ryu attends an election campaign event when reporters start receiving anonymous tips about him. Allegations of bribery, s*xual assault, and other crimes spread across the internet within minutes. Reporters confront him on live television. He panics and realizes his career is over.
He finds Minister Choi waiting for him in an empty auditorium. Choi reveals that the ERPB leaked all the information to punish Jun-hyeong. Assemblyman Ryu gets arrested on the spot. His reputation is completely destroyed. Jun-hyeong now has no powerful father to protect him. At school, his former friends turn against him. He becomes the new outcast.
Jun-hyeong Tries to Burn Down the School
Jun-hyeong snaps after losing everything. He locks his former friends inside a classroom and pours gasoline all around them. Other students run out of the building screaming. Hwa-jin arrives and sees what is happening. Instead of stopping Jun-hyeong gently, Hwa-jin pulls out his own lighter and sets the hallway on fire.
The flames trap Jun-hyeong. He starts begging for his life, screaming that he does not want to die. Only then does Hwa-jin put out the fire. He confronts Jun-hyeong about Dae-seok’s death. A flashback reveals the full truth: Jun-hyeong destroyed Dae-seok’s father’s business using his family’s influence. When Dae-seok begged him to stop, Jun-hyeong told him to die if he wanted to save his father. Dae-seok took those words literally.
Jun-hyeong and all his friends get arrested at the end of the episode. Dae-seok’s case gets reopened for a proper investigation. Hwa-jin and Minister Choi visit the grave of a woman named Choi Ga-yun (Ha Young), whose death is hinted to be the real reason the ERPB was created.
Fan and Critic Reactions to the Premiere
The first episode has already sparked strong reactions. Critics praise Kim Moo-yul for his performance as Hwa-jin. One review describes him as playing the character with “absolute confidence, the kind of man who walks into a situation already convinced everyone else is wasting time.” The show holds an 8/10 rating from one major review site.
But some viewers feel uncomfortable with the violence. Dramabeans noted that Hwa-jin “seems to enjoy hurting and humiliating his targets just as much as they enjoy doing the same to theirs.” The show raises difficult questions about whether fighting violence with violence actually solves anything.
The premiere episode also became the center of discussion due to its sensitive content, which includes a student’s su*cide. Viewer discretion is strongly advised for those who may be triggered by such themes.
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Streaming Details for Global Audiences
All 10 episodes of Teach You a Lesson are now available on Netflix worldwide. Viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and India can stream the entire season. The show carries a TV-MA rating for mature content and violence. The series was directed by Hong Jong-chan, who previously worked on Juvenile Justice.
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