Following the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), the Korean Teachers and Educational Workers Union (KTEU) also opposed the production of the drama 'I Love Elementary Students.'
On the 2nd, the Korean Teachers and Educational Workers Union (KTEU) stated in a press release titled "Stop the production of the drama 'I Love Elementary Students' immediately" that they strongly criticized the drama production based on the webtoon 'I Love Elementary Students,' noting that "national elementary school teachers are engulfed in shock and anger."
'I Love Elementary Students' is a webtoon released through platforms like Naver Series and KakaoPage, featuring an adult female teacher and a minor male elementary student. The recent announcement of the drama production has sparked controversy. On the 1st, the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) also issued a statement criticizing it, prompting a backlash from the KTEU.
The KTEU argued that 'I Love Elementary Students' is "content that undermines the ethics between teachers and students and child protection principles," urging, "Stop production immediately." In particular, the KTEU pointed out that "scenes depicting 'excitement,' 'emotional turmoil,' and 'comfort' between an adult teacher and an elementary student could be easily misinterpreted or romanticized as romantic feelings," stating that this conveys a message that directly violates educational ethics to society at large.
Regarding this controversy, the original author and webtoon representatives stated, "It is true that the female teacher likes the elementary student protagonist, but the content does not desire romance," adding, "After realizing her feelings, the protagonist maintains distance through lines and actions such as 'I will definitely not show it' and 'I will keep my duties as a teacher.' The title 'elementary student' refers to a different character, not the protagonist. This will be clearly understood by reading the work."
The following is the full statement from the KTEU.
Stop the production of the drama 'I Love Elementary Students' immediately.
Cease the production of content that undermines the ethics between teachers and students and child protection principles.
Revise internal review regulations to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.
On June 27, 2025, the original platform C&C Revolution of the webtoon 'I Love Elementary Students' and the drama production company Meta New Line signed a rights agreement, officially confirming the adaptation of the webtoon into a drama.
National elementary school teachers have been engulfed in shock and anger regarding the news of a live-action drama adaptation of the webtoon 'I Love Elementary Students.' The work has faced several controversies during its webtoon serialization. Here's the synopsis provided by the webtoon platform.
"On the day I became an elementary school teacher, I was dumped by my boyfriend. I declared that I would give up on love, but before I knew it, my heart was completely taken by... my student, Im Dang-su?! To make matters worse, I get caught by my colleague Bae Deok-man, who seems to have a grudge against me! A specialized failure in love, can she succeed in true romance this time?"
The introduction already mentions romance and true love between an elementary school teacher and her elementary student mentee. The webtoon indeed depicts or implies such scenes. For example, there is a scene where the elementary student Im Dang-su holds teacher Sim Cheong-a's hand and gives a serious gaze reminiscent of a confession, along with scenes where Sim Cheong-a blushes or becomes flustered by the student's actions, and her friend contemplating whether to report Sim Cheong-a while looking at her.
In response, the author and webtoon representatives stated, "It is true that the protagonist likes the elementary student Im Dang-su, but it does not desire romance. After recognizing the feelings, the protagonist distances herself with lines and actions like 'I will never show it,' and 'I will keep my duties as a teacher and as a human.'"
They responded that the title 'elementary student' refers to a different character, not Im Dang-su, which can be clearly understood by viewing the work.
However, a drama is not a webtoon. The impact of making webtoon scenes into reality is different. A drama is a medium that elicits much more direct emotional immersion and interpretation from viewers through visual direction, music, and actors' expressions and lines. Moreover, once aired, it is almost impossible to manage or respond to controversies that arise. Within this structure, scenes depicting 'excitement,' 'emotional turmoil,' and 'comfort' between an adult teacher and an elementary student could be misinterpreted or romanticized as romantic feelings, thus conveying a message that directly contravenes educational ethics to society as a whole.
This distorts the entire education landscape, undermines trust in teachers, and, most importantly, acts to destroy even the minimal societal safety mechanisms that must protect students. The KTEU's elementary committee will continue to respond to ensure that children are in safe and respected schools, and that teachers are trusted in their educational environments.
In response, the KTEU's elementary committee demands the following from the production and broadcasting companies.
First, stop the production of the drama 'I Love Elementary Students' immediately.
Second, cease the production of content that undermines the ethics between teachers and students and child protection principles.
Third, revise internal review regulations to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.
July 2, 2025
Korean Teachers and Educational Workers Union Elementary Committee
[Photo] Original webtoon source.
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