The Midnight Romance in Hagwon

The Midnight Romance in Hagwon (Korean: 졸업; RR: Joleob) is a South Korean television series that aired on the network tvN from May 11 to June 30, 2024. The drama, directed by An Pan-Seok and written by Park Kyung-Hwa, explores the professional and personal lives of instructors working in the competitive private education sector of Seoul.

Plot Synopsis

The story is set in the Daechi-dong neighborhood of Gangnam, an area renowned for its intense focus on private education. Seo Hye-Jin (played by Jung Ryeo-Won) is a veteran Korean language instructor with 14 years of experience at a private educational institute. While she has achieved professional success, she finds herself questioning her career path and long-held aspirations.

Her life takes an unexpected turn when her former student, Lee Joon-Ho (played by Wi Ha-Jun), returns to her life after a decade. Years prior, Seo Hye-Jin had dedicated herself to helping Lee Joon-Ho gain admission to a prestigious university, a success that significantly bolstered her own reputation as an instructor. After leaving a position at a major corporation, Lee Joon-Ho decides to return to the same private academy, this time as a rookie instructor working alongside his former teacher.

Production and Broadcast

The series consists of 16 episodes and was broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:20 KST. It occupied the time slot on tvN previously held by the drama Queen of Tears and was succeeded by The Auditors on July 6, 2024.