[Sportschosun Reporter Kim Jun-seok] Actor Park Ji-yeon, who played the overbearing mother of Woojin in the Netflix series 'Teach You a Lesson,' is drawing an enthusiastic response from viewers around the world.
After the series was released, Park Ji-yeon's social networking service (SNS) was flooded with comments from fans in Korea and overseas, proving its global buzz.
On the 6th, Park Ji-yeon posted several photos on her Instagram along with the message, "I took part as Woojin's mother in episode 5 of 'Teach You a Lesson.' Because it is a work that deals with meaningful issues, I approached it with extra care. Please show it a lot of interest."
The photos showed her reading books on child education to prepare for the role and analyzing the script with sticky notes placed throughout it. They highlighted her effort to create a layered character rather than a one-dimensional villain.
That effort led to an explosive response from viewers. As of the 11th, the post had more than 123,000 likes and over 7,800 comments, drawing intense attention.
In particular, the comments section was filled not only with Korean fans but also with viewers from overseas writing in various languages. Along with reactions such as "I watched while cursing at her," "Her acting was so good that I was really angry," "I kept thinking about the line, 'Our kid's father was very angry,' while watching episode 5," and "She was the best villain in 'Teach You a Lesson,'" messages of support in English, Japanese, Spanish, and other languages also poured in, including "I was amazed by your acting" and "I became a new fan."
In episode 5 of 'Teach You a Lesson,' Park Ji-yeon delivered a powerful performance as Woojin's mother, who blindly protects her son, files malicious complaints against a teacher, and does not hesitate to spread false claims or even pursue legal action.
Her chilling acting, especially in scenes where she clashes with Na Hwa-jin, an inspector at the Educational Protection Bureau played by Kim Mu-yeol, heightened the tension and pulled viewers deeper into the story.
Meanwhile, 'Teach You a Lesson' has continued its box-office momentum, ranking near the top of Netflix's TV show charts in Korea and several other countries shortly after its release.
It also emerged as a global hit by reaching No. 1 on Netflix's non-English series chart just three days after release. Through the striking character of Woojin's mother, Park Ji-yeon also made a strong impression on viewers at home and abroad.
narusi@sportschosun.com
