Horror comedy 'Teaching Practice' draws on 2023 teacher protests for May debut

A South Korean horror comedy drawn from the country's 2023 teacher protests and expanding private tutoring market will open May 13, director Kim Min-ha said Wednesday at a Seoul press conference.

The film is a rare commercial attempt to dramatize South Korean educators' real-world struggles — the mass teacher demonstrations that drew national attention in 2023 to a crisis of declining classroom authority and the rapid expansion of the private tutoring market.

The film follows Eun-gyung, a student teacher who returns to her former high school and leads a dark magic club in battle against ghosts representing academic subjects — mathematics, foreign languages and others — during a deadly mock exam, according to the Korea Times.

Kim said his motivation was rooted in what he witnessed on South Korean streets. "After seeing teachers gathered to protest for their rights in 2023, I felt a strong need to include the issue of teachers' declining authority in my work alongside the reality of the private tutoring market," the director said.

The project also traces its lineage to a cornerstone of Korean school cinema. "I wanted to create a high school horror comedy because I was inspired by the 'Whispering Corridors' series made by my seniors," Kim said. He added that he has planned the franchise through a fifth installment.

Lead actor Han Sun-hwa, who plays Eun-gyung, said the screenplay initially left her puzzled. "When I first read the script, I wondered what kind of story this was because it was so original," Han said. After speaking with Kim, she said, "I could clearly feel the message he wanted to send through this genre. I decided to join with a mindset of having fun together."

Lee Yeo-reum, a member of K-pop group WJSN making her feature film debut as Saet-byeol, said a fellow group member's endorsement brought her to the project. "I heard from Eunseo that the atmosphere on the director's set was very welcoming," Lee said. "Because the environment was so supportive, I was able to film without feeling too much pressure."

Kim said he built the film as a direct message of solidarity with educators. "I want them to know there is a movie that cheers for them while they protect our schools, and I hope this story allows them to dream again," the director said. "Teaching Practice: Idiot Girls and School Ghost" opens in South Korean theaters May 13.