In a recent interview with Star News at its headquarters in Seoul’s Jongno district, actor Lee Seung-gyu looked back on his time with Song Young-kyu and expressed his lingering disbelief over the veteran actor’s death.
Published on June 5, Teach You a Lesson follows the activities of the Teacher Rights Protection Bureau, an organization established to defend educational institutions and teachers from increasingly serious misconduct by students, teachers and parents. The series continued to gain momentum internationally, reaching number one on Netflix’s global non-English TV series ranking.
In episode 1, Lee Seung-gyu played Ryu Jun-hyung, a notorious perpetrator of school violence and son of the influential politician Ryu Gwang-pil, played by Song Young-kyu. The two actors convincingly portrayed a father-son relationship built on power, privilege and abuse.
Recalling their first meeting on set, Lee Seung-gyu spoke fondly of Song Young-kyu’s friendly personality and generosity. “We had a really fun time filming together. I first met him when we were doing our makeup. He greeted me warmly and started asking me where I lived and how old I was. When he found out I was around the same age as his daughter, he immediately started talking to me.”
Lee Seung-gyu continued, “Even after filming ended, he told me, ‘Seung-gyu, your facial expressions were really beautiful. Thanks to you, the scene came out well.’ Hearing this from a senior actor made me incredibly proud.
The role of Song Young-kyu in Teach You a Lesson became one of his last screen appearances. Lee Seung-gyu revealed that he learned of the actor’s death through a news broadcast while he was in Gangwon Province. “I was in Gangwon-do when I heard the news on TV while passing by somewhere. I couldn’t believe it. As we had worked together and shared conversations, I felt heartbroken and devastated. I remember going to pay my respects that same night.” The actor admitted that the loss affected him deeply because of the personal bond he had formed during filming.
Lee Seung-gyu also discussed a deleted scene that further explored the complicated relationship between his character and Ryu Gwang-pil. According to the actor, a sequence showing Ryu Jun-hyung being beaten with a golf club by his father was filmed but ultimately removed during editing. “I thought the deleted golf club scene helped explain Ryu Jun-hyung’s backstory and emotional shortcomings,” Lee Seung-gyu explained.
He added that he approached the role from the perspective that Jun-hyung grew up under an authoritarian father and a mother who never challenged that authority. “Because he grew up in that environment, I believed he naturally adopted the same authoritarian behavior at school.”
Although his screen time was limited, Song Young-kyu’s portrayal of politician Ryu Gwang-pil left a strong impression on viewers and became part of what is now remembered as one of his last performances.
Lee Seung-gyu’s reflections resonated with fans, offering a glimpse into the kindness Song Young-kyu showed behind the scenes and the impact he left on younger actors who had the opportunity to work alongside him.
Sources: Nate News
