The Midnight Romance in Hagwon (Viki)
Synopsis
Seo Hye-Jin is a Korean language teacher at a private educational institute (aka hagwon) in Gangnam. Daechi-dong is known as the most competitive private education area in the nation. After 10 years her former star student Lee Joon-Ho decides to quit working at a big company to become an instructor at the same academy. His current job is more prestigious but there’s a lot of money to be made quickly if he can become a successful lecturer at the hagwon. The Midnight Romance in Hagwon gives us a look into the competitive world of hagwons wrapped in an underlying romance.
The Story
Many K-dramas take on the educational system in Korea. But instead of the parents or students, this time, we’re given an inside look from the teachers’ point of view. Primarily, that of the hagwon lecturers except for Kim Song-Il who represents the public teachers quite well as Pyo Sang-Seob. Who knew there was so much competition among all these educators?
The Midnight Romance in Hagwon starts slowly and steadily builds. It relies on character development. Something K-dramas do very well. Early on we learn that Lee Joon-Ho was not only Seo Hye-Jin’s star student, but possibly the best case of success to come out of Daechi Chase Academy. Meanwhile, Seo Hye-Jin has dedicated her life to the academy. Her success as a star lecturer has created respect and jealousy among her peers. It’s also made her coveted by the rival hagwon, Daechi Choeseon Academy.
You may remember Wi Ha-Joon (Lee Joon-Ho) as the police officer in Squid Game. But long time K-drama fans probably first think of his role as Son Ye-Jin’s younger brother in Something in the Rain (also directed by Midnight’s An Pan-Seok). Jung Ryeo-Won (Seo Hye-Jin) was harder to place but I knew I’d seen her before. Then it dawned on me that she was Yoo Hee-Jin almost 20 years ago in My Lovely Sam Soon.
The title is a hint no one can miss. It doesn’t take Joon-Ho long to make his intentions known to Hye-Jin. However, the 10-year age gap makes her hesitant to acknowledge what she is also feeling. There’s an undeniable chemistry between them in their teaching styles as well. Something the academy uses in their marketing to attract more students. But this puts a target on their backs in more ways than one.
I think many K-drama writers use their platform to present a message regarding an issue in Korea in hopes of creating change. The Midnight Romance in Hagwon shines a glaring spotlight on many issues within Korea’s education system. Unique to Korea, but not so isolated that I couldn’t help but see parallels within American education as well. Regina Kim wrote a very enlightening article for Forbes detailing the issues that plague Korea and the hagwon system that we see in this drama.
Tune in for the romance, and leave with a deeper understanding of the role hagwons play in how kids are educated in Korea. I can only hope this drama will be a catalyst to change how Koreans look at educating their children.
Commentary
I’ve seen firsthand through a friend’s niece that kids in Korea spend their childhood studying. It’s no wonder the current generation doesn’t want to have kids. Not only can’t they afford to raise kids, they probably also struggle with bringing a kid into the existing system. A system that pushes a false narrative.
When my kids were young they were competitive gymnasts. Now there’s a system that’s messed up (at least in the U.S.). The time and money it took to be on the team was ridiculous. We weren’t trying to make these kids Olympians so why do the teams train so extensively? Coaching techniques that are sometimes borderline abusive (that I only learned of after my kids quit) and ongoing physical ailments from such intense training. For what? A few parents told me they hoped their kids would get a gymnastic scholarship for college. If they’d put the money it cost to participate in competitive gymnastics in an investment fund when their kids were young they probably wouldn’t even need a scholarship.
The way kids are educated in Korea seems similar. Full disclosure: all I know comes mainly from K-dramas and what I’ve learned secondhand from those with more knowledge about the system. But it doesn’t take a hagwon lecture to know that even if every kid got 100% on their college entrance exams there are only so many slots available each year in the coveted SKY universities. And there are only so many top jobs available after university. It’s basically a lottery system. Parents might be better off putting hagwon money in an investment fund towards a mortgage for their kids starting in kindergarten and focusing on sending them to a regular university.
Not only are kids giving up their childhood to study unnecessarily, but they’re also dealing with mental health issues because of the pressure put on them by their parents, teachers, and the system in general. If you don’t know what that looks like, check out the article by Regina Kim.
As pointed out in The Midnight Romance in Hagwon another issue is that kids are being taught how to take a test. Not how to learn and retain long-term. The U.S. is similar. My two kids were A students on the honor roll and took AP courses. The oldest was dual-enrolled in college her senior year of high school and the youngest graduated high school with an IB degree. But they both will tell you they may not have been able to pass those exams a year later. They memorized long enough to be able to pass. Not to retain long-term.
I don’t know the cost of higher education in Korea but I’ve heard hagwons can cost more than a monthly mortgage. In America, most 18-year-olds can’t qualify for a mortgage. But they’re given student loans with little to no qualification. 20 years later some are still trying to pay those loans off. Just like in Korea, there is no guarantee of a job when they graduate. In many cases, student loan debt alone can disqualify them from getting a mortgage. It’s a vicious cycle that needs to be broken. I hope The Midnight Romance in Hagwon makes Koreans pause and ponder. The system needs to change. It needs to change in the U.S. as well.
Spoiler Alert
If you’re like me, you don’t want to know the end before you watch it. Even something as simple as it was a good ending or a bad ending can be too much of a hint. So read no further if that’s you.
Sabotage, backstabbing, and a coup—you’d think I was talking about a military or political drama. Nope. The setting for The Midnight Romance in Hagwon is in the after-school educational programs in Korea. I’m sure there’s some artistic license taken that allows for exaggeration. But based on what we know, it’s still too close for comfort.
It was hard watching two women try to take down a third. Motivated by jealousy, power, and money. At the expense of the students. Similar to other dramas we see that the parents are incapable of discerning a situation and everyone just follows each other taking turns jumping off the proverbial bridge.
Ensemble Cast
Similar to a sports team, one or two people cannot carry the whole drama. The Midnight Romance in Hagwon had many familiar faces in pivotal roles. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Seo Jung-Yeon (Choi Hyung-Sun) in a role where she’s mean. To her credit, I did not like the grey witch. Kim Song-Il first had me gritting my teeth and then embracing Pyo Sang-Seob. I wanted to wring Kim Jong-Tae’s director Kim Hyun-Tak’s neck. His wishy-washiness was irritating and if you ask me, he was a big part of the problem at Daechi Academy. Kim Jung-Young as the insecure and conniving assistant director Woo Seung-Hee is someone I hope I never work with. Newbie Cha Kang-Yoon’s sincerity as the coveted student Lee Si-Woo inspired Jun-Ho and subsequently, Hye-Jin to overhaul how they teach. Check out the full cast!
Comments
I’d love to hear your take on things. Why did you choose to watch or not watch this drama? Why would you recommend others to watch? What impact if any, will The Midnight Romance in Hagwon have on the current education systems in Korea?