On June 7, actress Park Ji-yeon shared behind-the-scenes photos from episode 5 on social media, revealing that she appeared as Woo-jin’s mother.
Reflecting on the project, he wrote that the series tackles significant issues and that he approached the role with particular care, while encouraging viewers to support the drama. The photos showed the actress smiling as she held the script and posed next to child actor Choi Ja-woon, who played her son in the episode.
Released on Netflix on June 5, Teach You a Lesson follows the activities of the Teacher Rights Protection Bureau, an organization created to address the growing problems of South Korea’s education system. In episode 5, Park Ji-yeon played Lee Ji-young, an overprotective parent whose relentless complaints make the life of a teacher unbearable. His character bombards teacher Choi Ji-seon, played by Song Si-an, with excessive demands, malicious denunciations and false accusations of child abuse.
The episode impressed viewers due to the realism of the character’s behavior. Lee Ji-young constantly sent unreasonable messages to the teacher, demanding special treatment for her son and criticizing everything from classroom discipline to personal appearance. He also monitored the teacher’s social media accounts, interfered in his private life, and even spread false rumors in local parenting communities, pushing the teacher to the emotional breaking point.
Among those who reacted strongly to the episode was Kim Hee-chul. Commenting on Park Ji0yeon’s social media post, the Super Junior star jokingly wrote, “I almost swore here too,” before adding, “I was watching this swearing the whole time.” Her humorous response quickly gained attention online, with fans interpreting it as proof of how convincing Park Ji-yeon’s performance was.
Song Si-an, who played the victimized teacher in the episode, also joined the conversation, leaving a supportive comment that read “I love you,” highlighting the cast’s close friendship off-screen.
Audiences echoed Kim Hee-chul’s reaction, flooding social media with comments praising Park Ji-yeon’s ability to bring a frustrating character to life. Many viewers admitted to feeling real anger while watching the episode, with comments ranging from “My husband was furious after watching it” to “I almost exploded with frustration” and “That performance made my blood pressure rise.”
Even as her character has become one of the series’ most unlikable figures, the overwhelming response has only strengthened Park Ji-yeon’s reputation as an actress capable of delivering powerful and memorable performances.
His portrayal of Lee Ji-young emerged as one of the most talked about episodes of Teach You a Lesson, proving that sometimes the most effective villains are the ones who seem frighteningly real.
Sources: Daum | My daily newspaper
