Kim Moo Yul sat down with reporters on June 12th to discuss the success of the Netflix original series Teach You a Lesson and share his hopes for a possible second season.
The series has topped global charts, and Kim has been gaining around 200,000 new social media followers every day.
“I’m very happy, but I also take it seriously,” Kim said. “I’ve been reflecting on the message we wanted to convey. Fans around the world have been reaching out, and one teacher from Malaysia sent a message saying they related to the story and strongly wished for a second season. The response after the release exceeded our expectations, but getting that early message really surprised me.”
Kim explained that the team simply hoped viewers would enjoy the series when they began production, never expecting it to resonate so strongly with audiences across different countries, particularly educators.
“We made it carefully and hoped people would find it entertaining,” he said. “I never imagined it would connect with people beyond borders like this, especially those working in education. That’s been both surprising and incredibly meaningful.”
Kim also spoke about receiving a shout-out from wrestler-turned-actor John Cena.
“I’ve been a fan of the WWF since I was young. I had posters on my walls, subscribed to magazines and rented videos,” he said. “I’ve always admired John Cena as both a wrestler and an actor. When he posted my photo, it made me laugh and wonder if I should post his photo too, but I decided to leave just a comment.”
Kim revealed that his younger brother has been an even bigger John Cena fan since the WWE star’s debut and was among the first to point out their resemblance.
“There are a few comparisons that I can understand,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve heard Ong Seong Wu, Sean, John Cena and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I was especially surprised when I met Sean in person because we really did look alike.”
“If there’s a second season, I would love for John Cena to make a special appearance,” he added.
Kim also shared his thoughts on Heo Nam Jun, who has been gaining attention through My Royal Nemesis.
“Nam Jun and I became close while working on Sweet Home, and we also went to the same university,” he said. “I told him, ‘Congratulations to both of us,’ and he replied, ‘I never thought a day like this would come for me too.’ I told him we should enjoy it and be grateful. I’m really happy everything is going so well.”
Kim also addressed comparisons to actor Kim Nam Gil.
“I feel cautious whenever his name comes up because I don’t want it to come across as disrespectful to him,” Kim said. “I’ve only met him briefly in private settings, but even during those short encounters, I felt his support, encouragement and respect. His performance in The Shameless also inspired me a lot. As someone who is a fan of his work, those comparisons make me a little uncomfortable.”
At the same time, Kim acknowledged that such situations are common in the entertainment industry.
“Things like this happen all the time during the casting process,” he said. “There have been many projects where I wasn’t the first choice for the role. Looking at it that way, I saw this project as just another part of that process and moved forward.”
Rather than focusing on outside criticism, Kim said the cast and crew spent much of production examining their own concerns about the series.
“From the beginning, the director, the production team and I constantly discussed the concerns people might have about the project,” he said. “Throughout filming, we kept asking ourselves whether we were losing our way or drifting from what we wanted to say. Even after production wrapped, I heard the editing team continued having those same conversations.”
Finally, Kim shared his wife Yoon Seung Ah‘s reaction to the series.
“She said it was fun and that she thought it would do well. My wife is usually very critical of my work, which I actually prefer. But this time she complimented me. It was the first time.”
>> ‘Teach You a Lesson’ Director Breaks Silence on Controversial Scenes, Remembers Late Song Young Gue
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