Hagwon instructor Lee Do poses at a press event for the Netflix variety show "Devil's Plan: Dead Again" held Thursday at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]
Hagwon instructor Lee Do poses at a press event for the Netflix variety show "Devil's Plan: Dead Again" held Thursday at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]

A test-prep instructor who suspended lectures three weeks before the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test, citing health reasons, is facing backlash from students after appearing on a Netflix variety show. Critics say it is hard to understand how someone who disrupted students' studies could turn up on television.

Critical posts about the instructor, Lee Do, 28, and the decision to halt lectures while continuing broadcast activities have been piling up on the online bulletin board of test-prep company Etoos since Sunday.

The controversy intensified after Lee attended a press event Thursday for the Netflix show "Devil's Plan: Dead Again," the third season of the "Devil's Plan" series.

Criticism erupted particularly after Lee revealed at the event that the appearance had been actively sought out, saying director Jeong Jong-yeon had been asked personally: "If you make 'Devil's Plan 3,' please give me just one chance."

One student referenced Lee's earlier guest appearance last May on a spinoff of the Netflix show "Never Been in a Relationship but Want to Date" Season 2, broadcast through YouTuber Gwak Tube's channel, and said, "Are you becoming an instructor just because you want to be a celebrity?"

Other students posted similar complaints on the board, writing: "You stopped lectures last year too, and now the same thing again this year"; "Do students have to put up with an instructor's personal circumstances while trying to study?"; "There is absolutely no sense of responsibility"; and "You said you were sick, yet you went to a press event."

Earlier, Lee announced on Oct. 29 that the remaining lectures could not continue for health reasons. In a handwritten letter at the time, Lee said: "Due to health reasons, I am unable to continue the remaining lectures in the Korean Geography and World Geography curriculum for 2027 CSAT preparation. I am heartbroken that my health has affected students' studies."

Lee added: "I had always put lectures before my health, and after years of doing so, warning signs began appearing in my body one by one. Ultimately, following medical advice, I decided for the first time to spend the rest of 2026 taking care of myself." Some students said they were caught off guard when the suspension was confirmed with the CSAT just three weeks away.

Meanwhile, Lee is a graduate of the geography education department at Seoul National University's College of Education and teaches Korean geography and world geography at online education company Etoos. Lee gained public recognition last year through an appearance on the Netflix show "Never Been in a Relationship but Want to Date." Lee is set to appear as a player alongside Jang Dong-min, Hong Jin-ho and Ha Seok-jin in "Devil's Plan: Dead Again," which premieres Tuesday.


bbo@heraldcorp.com