On June 17, Park Ji Yeon met Newsen at a bar in Gangnam, Seoul, where he shared various stories about the Netflix series Teach You a Lesson. Released on Netflix on June 5, the drama follows the courageous activities of the Educational Rights Protection Bureau as it stands with victims and works to restore order in schools.
Just three days after its release, Teach You a Lesson reached number one on Netflix’s global top 10 non-English TV shows. It also maintained the No. 1 in the Korean ranking of the “Today’s Top 10” series. In the drama, Park Ji Yeon played the role of Woo Jin’s mother.
Woo Jin’s mother was an overprotective parent who constantly filed malicious complaints against teachers. Park Ji Yeon first appeared as a highly sensitive parent during a classroom observation session. He later described increasingly obsessive behavior, including monitoring a teacher’s private life and spreading false information in online parenting communities. The character texted incessantly day and night, argued over trivial matters, and even filed a false complaint of child abuse against a school teacher. His actions sparked outrage among viewers around the world.
Park Ji Yeon revealed, “I was first offered the role of Master Jung, who appears in episode 3. This is my fourth project with director Hong Jong-chan. During the script development stage, he told me that he had a role in mind for me. Internally, I hoped that we could work together again, and he contacted me during the casting. However, he said that he wanted to suggest a different role and gave me the script, asking me to think about it. I became very ambitious. I told him I said I definitely wanted to test myself. “I wasn’t sure I could do it well, but I wanted to try. Thanks to his trust, I ended up meeting the character of Woo Jin’s mother.
She continued, “Throughout my acting career, I have mostly played characters who have suffered tragedies: my husband died, my son died, or I died. I have also played brilliant characters, but this was the first time I played a villain that required such a great amount of energy. I often wondered if a role like this would ever happen to me. Opportunities like this are rare. I really wanted to take it, and the script was excellent.”
Park Ji Yeon has previously worked with Hong Jong-chan on Life, Juvenile Justice and Mr. Plankton, making Teach You a Lesson their fourth collaboration.
“In Life, I played a thoracic surgery nurse, and in Juvenile Justice, I was an investigator. They were kind and calm characters. This time, the director told me he thought Woo Jin’s mother would be a more fun challenge for both of us. He thought I would have more fun with the role,” she explained.
She added, “Director Hong is incredibly good at casting. He spends a lot of time thinking about it. I’ve seen him hold four or five auditions for first-time actors. I know how much effort he puts into casting. People often describe me as a gentle image, but maybe he’s seen a different, more diverse side of me.”
Park Ji Yeon also shared a recent conversation with the director.
“A few days ago, Director Hong contacted me. We have built a strong bond through our projects together. He told me, ‘I rewatched episode 5. My wife and people around me keep talking about Woo Jin’s mother.’ He was so happy. As a joke, he said, “We’re going to win a prize.” Even on set he always talked about awards. She even joked that I deserved the best actress award. Of course I thought he was making fun of me. But he seemed genuinely happy,” she said with a smile.
He continued: “This is a good thing for him too. I first met him when I auditioned for Life, and we worked together on Juvenile Justice, Mr. Plankton, and now on Teach You a Lesson. He’s like a benefactor to me. He gave me my first regular role through Juvenile Justice. And this time, he gave me my first villain role. He even sent me a coffee truck. He’s the director who gave me so many first experiences. The drama is going well, and so a lot of good things are happening, which makes me incredibly happy.
Park Ji Yeon also got emotional when talking about his friends and colleagues.
“I’m still getting so many messages. I’m so grateful. One of my closest friends is also an actress and a mother. She’s taking a break right now, and we’ve all been busy, so it’s hard to meet up. But she told me she couldn’t hold it any longer and had to call me. Everyone was happy for me like it was their success. They know how hard I’ve worked all these years, so they were genuinely excited for me.”
At that point, Park Ji Yeon burst into tears as she reflected on the support she had received.
Sources: Daum
