The Korean drama Teach You a Lesson has achieved a major milestone on Netflix. The series has officially surpassed The Glory to become the fifth most-watched Korean original on the streaming platform of all time. With over 46.6 million views accumulated since its June 5 release, the action-packed school drama continues to dominate global charts.
The show has held the number one spot on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV chart for four straight weeks. It reached the Top 10 in 75 countries and secured the top position in six markets, including Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.
Surpassing The Glory With 46.6 Million Views
Teach You a Lesson has collected more than 46.6 million views since its debut. This number pushed it past The Glory, which had 39.7 million views. The nearly 7-million-view difference marks a significant achievement for the series.
The show’s performance stands out because it achieved this record without a temporary spike in popularity. It has maintained steady viewership throughout its run. For its weekly rankings, Netflix calculates views by dividing total watch hours by the show’s runtime.
During the tracking week of June 22 to 28, the series recorded 7.3 million views. This came after earlier weeks where it amassed 21.1 million views in its second week and 11.8 million in its third week.
What Teach You a Lesson Is About
The 10-episode series is based on the webtoon Get Schooled. It follows a fictional government agency called the Educational Rights Protection Bureau (ERPB). This organization has government approval to use physical intervention and unconventional methods to discipline delinquent students and reform the education system.
The story centers on a team of inspectors who help victims and confront problems within the education system. The ERPB operates where official channels have failed. The team includes former Special Forces captain Na Hwa-jin, played by Kim Mu-yeol; junior inspector Im Han-rim, played by Jin Ki-joo; and administrative officer Bong Geun-dae, played by Pyo Ji-hoon. Lee Sung-min also stars as Education Minister Choi Gang-seok, who founded the bureau.
Director Hong Jong-chan, who previously directed Juvenile Justice (2022), explained his approach to the series. He wanted to keep emotions realistic while making the action sequences feel like an action film.
“In many ways, fantasy begins where reality becomes unbearable. That simple idea became the foundation of my directing approach.”
The show blends social commentary, emotional storytelling, and suspense. It addresses real issues like bullying, teacher burnout, and school violence. The realistic episodes mirror real-life incidents while also mixing in comedy and action.
Global Popularity and Viewer Response
Teach You a Lesson has attracted audiences worldwide. It ranked in the Top 10 across 75 countries and regions. The show reached number one in 19 countries and territories, including South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Peru.
Viewers have responded strongly to how the show resolves issues through an institutional force. One fan described the experience as “pure dopamine”. Another viewer noted:
“Seeing students, parents and even schools finally being held accountable in such an unconventional way was incredibly satisfying.”
The show has also sparked conversation on social media. Actor Kim Mu-yeol’s social media followers grew from around 200,000 to nearly 1.08 million in a short period. A viral online joke comparing Kim to Hollywood actor John Cena gained traction as the series grew in popularity. Cena himself shared a photo of Kim on his Instagram account on June 10.
The series has performed well with critics too. It earned an 86% score from critics and 94% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
Based on a Controversial Webtoon
The show is adapted from the webtoon Get Schooled by Chae Yong-taek and Han Ga-ram. The original webtoon faced public backlash for using racial slurs and stereotypes in one of its chapters. Some readers also criticized its handling of social issues.
Netflix senior director Bae Jong-byung later confirmed that the team took these controversies into account when adapting the story for the screen. Despite the controversy, the series has proven popular worldwide.
Director Hong Jong-chan clarified that the ERPB was never meant to be a clean moral model.
“The ERPB is a fantasy. It’s an organization that would be difficult to imagine existing in reality, and some of its methods could certainly be controversial.”
He wanted viewers to wrestle with questions about justice and institutional failure.
What This Record Means for Korean Dramas on Netflix
Teach You a Lesson now joins the list of top five most-watched Korean Netflix originals. The show’s success adds to the growing global popularity of Korean content on the platform. It has maintained its number one position on the non-English chart for four weeks, a rare achievement for any series.
The show’s appeal has spread widely without relying on a temporary spike. Its combination of action, social commentary, and emotional storytelling has resonated with audiences across different cultures. Educators and parents from countries with no particular cultural overlap with Korea have written to say they recognized their own schools on screen.
The series also boosted viewership for director Hong Jong-chan’s previous work. Juvenile Justice (2022), which stars Kim Mu-yeol, came in at 10th place with 1.2 million views during the same period.
Teach You a Lesson continues to stream on Netflix with all 10 episodes available. The show’s record-breaking run shows no signs of slowing down as it continues to attract new viewers around the world.
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