Reigning as the most popular K-drama of May, The Midnight Romance in Hagwon not only captures the hearts of a student-teacher duo, but gives insight into the harsh reality of South Korea's private academies! We dive into this cut-throat world of "be or be killed" in the heart of Korea's private education institutions! Read on to find out more!
Spoilers!
Hagwon's otherwise known as cram schools have been seen as a topic of controversy and criticism regarding South Korea's educational system and competitive society. In the latest episode of The Midnight Romance in Hagwon, we are introduced to the rival of Daechi Chase Academy, Choiseon Academy's Choi Hyung Sun (aka "The White Haired Witch")! The strategic combination of the student-teacher advertisement using Seo Hye Jin (Jung Ryeo Won) and Lee Joon Ho (Wi Ha Joon) as the poster "power couple" of Daechi Chase has caught a snag!
With the introduction of Choi Hyung Sun (Seo Jung Yeon My Demon 2023-2024), the star couple's goal of taking over the most exclusive private education area in South Korea has been foiled. With her extensive years of experience, Seo Hye Jin and Lee Joon Ho have to team up and co-lecture their subjects in order to take her down!
Why all the drama?
Hagwons in South Korea are a big deal! If you haven't gotten the jist of how important they are to a senior in high school, make sure to read our articles about it from our drama review of Crash Course in Romance (2023) and Green Mother's Club (2022)! As of 2022, 78.3% of grade school students in South Korea attend at least one and spend an average of 7.2 hours weekly in them!
The reason why parents send their children to hagwons is because of the fiercely competitive nature of Korean society. To survive, students must compete with their classmates to get top ranks to get into prestigious universities. Fall behind, and you'll lose your place in the upper echelons of Korean society. It is that serious!
But this seriousness does beg the question: "Is all this studying worth it?" and "What about the children's mental health?" These are questions that are constantly plaguing Korean parents and society these days as more and more high school students are dangerously at the edge of their mental capacity.
We want to open up this topic of discussion to you all! What do you think about The Midnight Romance in Hagwon and the stress that South Korean high school students must endure to achieve "academic excellence"? Is it similar to your country? Let us know in the comments below!