[Dispatch=Reporter Jung Tae-yoon] The Teacher Protection Bureau. Under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, it is a special mobile unit directly under the ministry that can intervene with state power in problem schools.

While real educational authorities merely make recommendations, the Teacher Protection Bureau is an organization with authority to go one step further and even conduct physical restraint.

The Teacher Protection Bureau does not exist. The world has become enthusiastic about this fantasy. Within three days of its release, it reached #1 on Netflix's global non-English shows and top 10 in 48 countries.

Actor Kim Moo-yeol's Instagram was filled with messages from teachers in various countries. Faced with that response, he felt weight before joy.

"There was a will and belief to think beyond punishment and to move forward. I would be grateful if we could think beyond catharsis and exhilaration."

With what mindset did Kim Moo-yeol approach Netflix's 'True Education'? Dispatch recently met with him to hear his story.

◆ True Choice

'True Education' is a work that depicts the unrestricted activities of the Teacher Protection Bureau, which stands on the side of victims and corrects schools. It is based on a Naver webtoon.

The webtoon was a commercial success, but some episodes faced issues for racist depictions and sexist expressions. North American service was discontinued, domestic episodes were deleted, and there was an extended hiatus.

When news of the drama adaptation came, controversy reignited. There were concerns about endorsing punishment, requests to halt production, and an actor considered for casting declined to participate.

Kim Moo-yeol stepped into the role. He said he was "interested in the fact that it tackled a difficult issue in an enjoyable way."

Above all, working together with director Hong Jong-chan, whom he collaborated with on Netflix's 'Juvenile Justice,' played a major role in his decision to participate. The two dealt with juvenile offenders in that work.

He said, "I had faith that the director would handle such sensitive issues seriously" and "tried to approach it carefully while also making it entertaining for many to enjoy."

◆ True Scene

True Education tackled sensitive issues in educational settings—school violence, malicious complaints, juvenile delinquents—through the action genre. Many episodes were inspired by actual incidents.

Ten episodes, ten schools. Each episode features a different villain, and the Teacher Protection Bureau intervenes. Kim Moo-yeol's character 'Na Hwa-jin' is a director of the Teacher Protection Bureau with a special forces background.

Aware of concerns and worries about the work, he approached it with greater caution than ever. As a result, many new lines of dialogue were created on set. The scene in episode 2 where he tells a school violence victim, "Hyung-ju, it's okay."

He said, "I thought that saying that line would help the school violence victim build their emotions, so I tried it. That's how things are discovered on set and added, or I think about it alone at home and suggest it."

He also made effort to guide supporting actors appearing in each episode. Kim Moo-yeol said, "I tried hard to approach them first and ease the atmosphere so they could freely perform what they had thought about."

"Starting from episode 5's mother of Woo-jin (played by Park Ji-yeon), who drew public anger, the actors did so well in every episode that it's memorable. Each episode was a memorable scene for me. It felt like I came to an acting buffet."

◆ True Action

Kim Moo-yeol displayed more thrilling action than ever in 'True Education.' He even earned the nickname Korean John Wick. John Wick himself even pinned a photo of him on Instagram.

Yet his mind was not focused on flashy action sequences. That makes sense—while the Teacher Protection Bureau can legally restrain students, it could not appear as another form of violence.

Kim Moo-yeol said, "Rather than worrying about specific martial arts or movements, since I'm exchanging punches with students, I first thought about what mindset I should have."

"Hwa-jin's strength is almost hero-level, but I thought I should portray him controlling his power with the students. Things like keeping one hand in his pocket and not putting full force, or delivering light taps."

When dealing with adults, his expression turned merciless. He said, "In the final scene of episode 2 fighting with organized crime members, I made the scene more intense to give the children the feeling of 'he just matched his opponent.'"

◆ True Education

Na Hwa-jin is cold and unreserved, but there is a backstory. His fiancée Choi Ga-yoon, who was a teacher, lost her life to a problem student. Her death became the direct catalyst for the launch of the Teacher Protection Bureau.

Throughout the series, there are suspicious gazes questioning whether Na Hwa-jin's activities in the bureau stem from personal revenge. In episode 10, Na Hwa-jin forgives Gyou-chul, who killed Ga-yoon, revealing his true heart.

Kim Moo-yeol said, "In that scene, Hwa-jin's belief in wanting to follow Ga-yoon's will seemed to shine through, and that touched my heart the most."

Above all, he empathized with the sense of responsibility. He said, "I thought the biggest reason Hwa-jin gets involved in incidents while solving Teacher Protection Bureau problems is responsibility. That aspect seemed like a good quality of an adult."

What was the ultimate message he wanted to convey through True Education? Kim Moo-yeol said, "I wanted to talk about hope. At the end, I tell Gyou-chul, 'Let's try again,' and from the character's perspective, that seemed like the right answer."

"Problems in educational settings are very difficult and complex. Despite that, I felt a lot about the hope that things can change. So I proposed wanting to say that line. That dialogue is my emotional message that runs through True Education and Hwa-jin."

◆ True Actor

He met a career-defining character. Kim Moo-yeol balanced the piece by moving between comic moments and serious emotions. He revealed a wild horse-like charm—controlling his physical power one moment before suddenly subduing his opponent the next.

Regarding the reason for the enthusiasm, he said, "It's heroic, but also a daring and dangerous fantasy. Yet because Hwa-jin is an adult who takes responsibility, people seem enthusiastic" and added, "It was a character I approached with a different resolve."

Global popularity is also heating up. Forbes said, "The next generation global action star the West has yet to discover" and even questioned, "Why has he not become the lead in global projects until now?"

Kim Moo-yeol said, "Since it's a story set in Korea's educational setting, I didn't anticipate that international audiences would love this work so much. I thought a lot about what that actually was."

"Ultimately, I realized that the hearts of parents, teachers, and those in educational settings are all the same. People from France, Malaysia, and various other countries send messages saying 'We had incidents like this in our country,' and they say, 'We empathize and are grateful that you made this story.' It's surprising and a new experience."

Anticipation for season 2 continues. Kim Moo-yeol said, "The director saw the response and texted me, 'What should we do?' So I replied, 'We should do season 2.' I want to think seriously and heavily about the interest and love."

Lastly, he also spoke about the meaning of 'True Education.' "Beyond refreshment or dopamine, if there is room to think, I would be grateful. I think we should think beyond punishment and move forward," he added.

<Photo provided by Netflix>