One day, after corporal punishment suddenly disappeared from schools, what filled the hallways and classrooms was not peace but a strange disorder. Teachers hesitate to speak in front of students, and students learn early on that they can openly mock their teachers without consequence. Parents wield the sword of complaints to pressure schools, and principals are too busy covering up conflicts while only looking at numbers and evaluation sheets. The Naver webtoon 'True Education' thrusts a 'field troubleshooter' into this twisted landscape. Just like a gunslinger rides into a lawless town in a Western movie, a man in a suit opens the classroom door.
At the center of the story is a secret organization under the Ministry of Education, the Education Rights Protection Bureau. Judging that they can no longer protect teachers' rights through paperwork, official documents, and persuasive meetings, they create a special team that directly intervenes in schools to safeguard teachers' rights. It's a kind of 'special task force for the education sector.' The figure leading the charge is Na Hwa-jin. He is not particularly talkative and appears to be an ordinary civil servant, but the moment a problem arises, his gaze shifts to a completely different current. It’s a tension similar to Clint Eastwood squinting with a cigarette in his mouth.
The Hammer of Justice, or the Judge Descending into the Classroom
The basic structure of the webtoon is thoroughly episodic. Each episode features a different school and a different incident. In one school, a bully who has taken over the classroom openly threatens the teacher, while in another school, the principal, parents, and academy head collude to profit from grades. In some episodes, when a teacher is falsely accused of sexual harassment, it becomes clear that the interests of students and adults are intricately intertwined behind the scenes. Na Hwa-jin infiltrates these places, changing his identity to that of an education office investigator, a temporary teacher, or a foundation auditor. If 007 is James Bond, then this is James Education.
At first, he surveys the school with a friendly smile and polite demeanor. He observes students in the hallways, listens to casual conversations in the staff room, and exchanges formal greetings in the principal's office to gauge the atmosphere. He quietly observes, much like a Michelin Guide inspector evaluating a restaurant. However, the moment the true faces of the perpetrators and bystanders are revealed, Na Hwa-jin's attitude changes drastically. It feels less like suppressed anger and more like the mechanical execution of tremendous violence. The moment he closes the classroom door and faces the target head-on, readers already know what to expect. This is when the webtoon's signature 'True Education' time begins.
Na Hwa-jin's method is literally physical force. He slams students who mock teachers en masse against their desks, and the principal, who concealed school violence and pressured victims, is thrown against the wall. A parent who believes they can sacrifice the lives of other students for their child's entrance exam is met with a punishment that shatters their pride and face right there. These are scenes that are unimaginable in reality, yet the webtoon vividly portrays them with cartoonish exaggeration and impactful action. Readers feel a sense of relief in these moments, as if a clogged drain has finally been cleared. Or perhaps it’s the liberation felt at the moment of a long-awaited sneeze.
However, Na Hwa-jin does not fight alone. By his side is fellow supervisor Lim Han-rim, also from the Education Rights Protection Bureau. If Na Hwa-jin is the blade, Lim Han-rim is the hand that barely keeps that blade from going completely wild. He suggests listening a bit more to the victimized student and seeks ways to resolve issues within the system instead of resorting to violence. The differing perspectives of the two on the incidents add subtle tension throughout the work. Readers are confronted with the question of whether 'returning the favor is justice, or should education still be about changing people?' It’s as if the moral conflict between Batman and Superman has been transposed to a staff room setting.
As the serialization continues, the scale of the episodes grows larger. Initially, the conflicts were limited to those between school violence perpetrators, teachers, and parents, but later, the frontlines expand to include the education office, political circles, foundation board members, and the media. The Education Rights Protection Bureau itself is no longer portrayed as a completely righteous organization. Cracks within the organization begin to show under pressure from above, performance competition, and political interests. With the addition of youth rights lawyer Lee Jun-bin, who previously opposed the Education Rights Protection Bureau, 'True Education' transforms from a simple academy action into a more complex battleground of conflicting values. It’s like the Marvel Cinematic Universe expanding its world, but this journey starts in the classroom and goes all the way to the Blue House.
The endings of the episodes generally follow a similar pattern. The perpetrator loses their power and face, while the victim regains at least a modicum of honor and safety or finds a new school and a fresh start. Na Hwa-jin, Lim Han-rim, and their colleagues set off for the next school. It’s like the 'Fugitive' series, solving one problem and then hitting the road again. Within this repetition, slightly different textures mix in. In some episodes, there are questions raised about whether Na Hwa-jin's choices were excessive, while in others, the circumstances of a character who appeared to be a 'perpetrator' are revealed late, stirring the readers' emotions. While the overall direction of the endings is predictable within a broad category, the narratives and conflicts of the characters that emerge in the process create the strength of the story.
The Aesthetics of Speed and Pleasure, and the Discomfort Behind It
The most powerful weapon that 'True Education' possesses is, above all, its sense of speed. The work does not provide lengthy explanations. Within the first few panels, it clearly shows who holds the power, who the victim is, and what absurdities are at play. It’s as neat as a skilled chef organizing ingredients with just three cuts. From there, it’s almost a rollercoaster. The moment the perpetrator tries to make excuses and hide behind the words law, rights, and system, readers already know. Soon, someone will kick off the classroom floor, desks will break, and problems that could not be resolved with words will be overturned by the language of power. The time between expectation and fulfillment is short. This is the formula for pleasure.
The artwork and direction are designed to maximize this sense of speed and pleasure. The characters' movements are bold, and the frames capturing the moments of impact are almost structured like 'posters summarizing the action in a single scene.' Angles that seem to tear the classroom ceiling or distorted perspectives that make the floor appear slanted visually express the reversal of power dynamics. Even when Na Hwa-jin, who usually appears calm, tightens his expression slightly, readers interpret that panel as a kind of signal. An unspoken agreement forms between the author and the readers that 'True Education is about to begin.' Like Pavlov's dog, we swallow hard at just the sight of that expression, eagerly awaiting the next scene.
Narratively, this work skillfully balances simplicity and complexity. The basic framework follows the familiar formula of 'evil adult or student appears – victim appears – investigation – punishment,' allowing readers to understand the structure without expending much energy. It has a sense of stability that comes from familiarity, much like the established structure of a sitcom. Instead, the focus should be on the details of reality revealed in each episode. The bullying perpetrator hiding behind a parent’s abuse of power, the vice-principal and principal downplaying incidents for the sake of school evaluations, and a single student’s phone call or social media post shaking a teacher's life are recurring structures. Through these specific details, the author shows the structural fatigue that Korean education stands upon. Events that feel like news stories or tales heard from acquaintances are vividly captured within the comic panels.
Interestingly, there are moments when 'True Education' clearly tries not to completely divide perpetrators and victims into black and white. In some episodes, the home situation of a student at the center of violence is revealed, while in another story, the way a teacher has treated a student is disclosed late, flipping the readers' perspectives. Of course, overall, this work still leans towards prioritizing 'satisfying retribution.' Nevertheless, there is a noticeable attempt to broadly showcase 'the lineage of violence occurring in the name of education.' There are moments that cast a faint shadow on the line between good and evil, and it is precisely at those moments that this webtoon gains weight beyond being a simple action piece.
The Pleasure of Catharsis and the Discrepancy with Reality
The reason this webtoon enjoys popular love is very intuitive. In the news and comment sections we have seen in reality, it always seemed that perpetrators and those in power emerged victorious. Teachers were unjustly criticized and resigned, victimized students had to transfer schools, and parents and principals covered up incidents without a word of apology. 'True Education' flips all these scenes on their head. The imagination of 'so just once, let them get a proper beating' that we have only whispered internally is vividly realized on the screen of this comic. The catharsis readers feel comes from here. It’s a fantasy that provides vicarious satisfaction for things that are absolutely impossible in reality. It’s like living while imagining winning the lottery; Na Hwa-jin's fist realizes a justice we cannot achieve.
However, that very point is also the biggest controversy surrounding this work. The violence in 'True Education' is clearly packaged as 'righteous punishment' within the story. However, because its intensity exceeds cartoonish exaggeration, at some point, the name of education feels strangely out of place. The logic of 'using violence to end violence' is directly reproduced, which can only cause discomfort for those who have struggled in real educational settings. Education is inherently the slowest and most arduous process, yet this webtoon resolves everything with a few punches. Moreover, in episodes where the circumstances of the perpetrators are not sufficiently illuminated, there is a risk of reducing an entire person's existence to a target that 'deserves to be hit.' The legitimacy of violence is always on a slippery slope. One misstep can lead to a complete fall.
As the work progresses into its later stages, characters who question Na Hwa-jin's methods begin to appear in earnest, and the internal politics of the Education Rights Protection Bureau, along with pressure from the media and public opinion, deeply intervene in the narrative, revealing that the author is clearly aware of these concerns. Na Hwa-jin himself increasingly contemplates how far his actions can be justified, and sometimes the choices he makes lead to unexpected secondary harm. At this point, readers begin to question beyond simple satisfaction, asking, 'What meaning does this violence I am enjoying have?' If this question had been pursued to the end, it could have become a more solid work. However, whether this question balances with the early action scenes is likely to vary in evaluation among readers. For some, it may appear as a mature evolution, while for others, it may seem like a wandering loss of initial intent.
A Guide for Those Seeking Catharsis
Finally, let’s conclude by discussing which readers I would recommend this webtoon to. For those who feel frustrated every time they see news related to schools and education but feel there is almost nothing they can do in reality, 'True Education' is likely to be a powerful emotional outlet. If there is a desire to strike back at those who do not adhere to common sense, they will feel a strange sense of liberation with every scene where Na Hwa-jin closes the classroom door. It’s like the relief felt after thoroughly beating a punching bag, with the pleasure of vicarious satisfaction transmitted to the fingertips.
Conversely, for readers sensitive to depictions of violence or those who carry the scars of real school violence and corporal punishment, this work may come across as somewhat rough. No matter how much the violence is directed at villains, the repetitive consumption of such scenes can cause fatigue. If one is willing to endure that fatigue to explore different angles on the current educational reality, 'True Education' is a work worth experiencing at least once. After reading, it becomes difficult to brush off what happens in classrooms as lightly as before.
Additionally, for those interested in observing how genre conventions clash and mix with messages of social critique, this text becomes intriguing. This webtoon is not perfect. Rather, its imperfections create more stories. While enjoying the fantasy of realizing justice through fists, it simultaneously makes one aware of the limitations of that fantasy. In embracing that discomfort and prompting continued reflection, this webtoon remains a contentious work that poses questions in a very Korean manner. Ultimately, the moment we cheer for Na Hwa-jin's fist, we also confront our own sense of powerlessness. And that moment of reflection may be the most meaningful legacy this work leaves behind.
