Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama The Midnight Romance in Hagwon on Viki, which delivered one of the most mature and nuanced romances of 2024!
The Midnight Romance in Hagwon aired on tvN from May 11 to June 30, 2024, every Saturday and Sunday, and became available for streaming on Viki, TVING, and Viu. Written by Park Kyung-hwa and directed by Ahn Pan-seok, this romance melodrama stars Jung Ryeo-won and Wi Ha-joon in a story that explores adult relationships with remarkable depth. With 16 episodes running approximately 60 minutes each, this series takes place in South Korea’s most competitive private education district and examines love, career, and personal growth through the lens of a former teacher-student relationship.
A teacher is stunned when a student returns, intent on winning her heart. The series follows the secret and sweet real-life romance between veteran academy instructor Seo Hye-jin and her flirty student Lee Joon-ho, who returns after 10 years and stirs her heart. What begins as a professional reunion evolves into a complex exploration of forbidden feelings, career ambitions, and the courage to pursue love despite societal expectations.
The neighborhood is known as the most competitive private education
Seo Hye-jin has worked as a Korean language teacher at a private educational institute in the Daechi neighborhood of Gangnam for the past 14 years. The neighborhood is known as the most competitive private education area in the nation. Recently, Seo Hye-jin has agonized over her future post-teaching career and her past dream. At that time, her ex-student Lee Joon-ho appears in front of her for the first time in 10 years.
When Seo Hye-jin taught him, she did her best to teach him and he made it into a prestigious university. That helped give her fame as an instructor. He secretly fell for her then, and has admired her from afar ever since. In the pursuit of love, he gives up his job at a major company to become a Korean language teacher and be closer to Hye-jin again.
Seo Hye-jin: The Veteran Instructor
Jung Ryeo-won delivers a masterful performance as Seo Hye-jin, the accomplished hagwon teacher who finds herself at a crossroads both professionally and personally. Her character is beautifully layered, showing a woman who has dedicated her life to education but is now questioning what comes next. Jung Ryeo-won brings subtle complexity to Hye-jin’s internal struggles as she navigates the return of her former student and the unexpected feelings that resurface.
What makes Hye-jin particularly compelling is her realistic portrayal of a woman in her forties who must confront long-buried emotions while maintaining her professional reputation. Her evolution from cautious teacher to someone willing to risk everything for love is handled with remarkable nuance.
Lee Joon-ho: The Determined Pursuer
Wi Ha-joon shines as Lee Joon-ho, the former student who returns with a clear mission to win his teacher’s heart. His character could have easily become one-dimensional, but Wi Ha-joon brings depth and sincerity to Joon-ho’s pursuit of love. The actor skillfully balances the character’s determination with vulnerability, making his romantic pursuit feel genuine rather than obsessive.
Jung Ryeo-won and Wi Ha-joon are creating the relatively adult, authentic aura of a tender but complicated love relationship between a former graduate and his former tutor. Yet, the two are more than a couple. Today, as teachers, they inspire each other to teach didactically creative.
The Academy World: Competitive Education
The series excels in its portrayal of South Korea’s intense private education system. Set against the backdrop of Daechi, a neighborhood known as the heart of the country’s hagwon culture, the drama explores the pressure-cooker environment where both teachers and students compete for success. This workplace setting becomes more than just a backdrop; it’s integral to understanding the characters’ motivations and the stakes of their relationship.
The competitive nature of the hagwon world adds layers of tension to the romance, as both characters must navigate their feelings while maintaining their professional reputations in an environment where scandal can end careers.
Success on Viki
The Midnight Romance in Hagwon found its audience among viewers who appreciate mature, realistic portrayals of adult relationships. Directed by Ahn Pan-seok, known for his nuanced approach to romance dramas like “Something in the Rain” and “One Spring Night,” the series delivered the kind of slow-burn, emotionally rich storytelling that his fans have come to expect. While the teacher-student premise initially sparked some controversy, the series handled the subject matter with sensitivity and maturity, focusing on the adults these characters have become rather than their past dynamic. The drama’s success on Viki proved that there’s still an audience for thoughtful, character-driven romances that prioritize emotional authenticity over flashy plot devices.
If you love mature romance dramas with complex characters and realistic relationship dynamics, The Midnight Romance in Hagwon is the perfect series to binge on Viki. This drama will have you invested in Hye-jin and Joon-ho’s journey as they navigate love, career, and societal expectations.
A thoughtful exploration of adult love that tackles complex themes with sensitivity, delivering authentic characters and emotional depth in South Korea’s competitive education world.
Series Details:
- Number of Episodes: 16
- Platform: Viki (also aired on tvN, available on TVING and Viu)
- Rating: 7.3/10 (IMDb)
- Genre: Romance, Melodrama, Workplace Drama
- Protagonists: Jung Ryeo-won (Seo Hye-jin), Wi Ha-joon (Lee Joon-ho)
- Antagonists: Societal expectations, workplace politics, competitive education system