At home, K-drama audiences are hooked on teaching wrongdoers a lesson — and not just unruly students

A scene from "Taxi Driver 3" / Courtesy of SBS

Looking at recently released Korean dramas, it appears that the average Korean viewer is ready to see someone being taught a lesson.

From schools and office hallways to courtrooms, the prevailing plots of well-crafted productions revolve around identifying villains or injustices that go unpunished by the law or the system, and taking matters into one’s own hands to deliver justice — and, along with it, catharsis.

A prime example is “Taxi Driver 3,” an SBS Friday-Saturday drama that aired from late last year into early 2026. Following the success of its first two seasons, the third season also concluded with enormous success and earned lead actor Lee Je-hoon his second grand prize at the SBS Drama Awards.

The drama follows a private revenge service disguised as a taxi company, named Rainbow Transport Corp., and its employee Kim Do-gi, who exacts revenge on perpetrators at the request of their victims.

Actors promote "Taxi Driver 3." Xportsnews

One of the key elements of its success was a plot inspired by real-life events that once dominated newspaper front pages, ranging from online video platforms that distributed sexually exploitative content to a nightclub suspected of facilitating prostitution and drug use while maintaining shady ties with police authorities and major K-pop entertainment agencies.

The season’s final episode drew particular attention for satirizing the martial law attempt by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024. By addressing these types of cases, which were not fully punished in real life, and delivering alternative endings that offered catharsis, the drama received favorable reactions from viewers.

A scene from "The Judge Returns" / Courtesy of MBC

MBC’s “The Judge Returns” is another drama that offers viewers a similar plot and sense of satisfaction, but this time, the story involves going back in time and reliving one’s life.

Corrupt and subservient to those in power, Judge Lee Han-young suddenly finds himself 10 years in the past. He decides to cast aside his life serving powerful law firms, hand down fair sentences and uphold justice in society, ultimately leading him to confront a giant evil lurking in the shadows.

Despite starting with a modest viewership rating of around 4 percent, each new episode generated growing buzz online. By its fifth episode, the drama had surpassed the 10 percent mark and continued to maintain strong ratings. For MBC, which had struggled to produce a hit in its Friday-Saturday slot in recent years, “The Judge Returns” marked a successful turnaround.

A scene from "Teach You a Lesson" / Courtesy of Netflix

Then there is “Teach You a Lesson,” which became Netflix’s most-watched show worldwide just two weeks after its release.

The setting of the fictional Educational Rights Protection Bureau, which has virtually unlimited authority and power, drew fervent response from viewers. So did the story of its agents being deployed to schools where teachers’ authority has completely collapsed and forcefully tackling problems that existing institutions and procedures would not dare touch.

Viewers particularly empathized with scenes drawn from real-life incidents in schools, such as parents making unreasonable demands and bullying teachers. Some episodes also prompted viewers to draw parallels to cases that deeply shocked Korean society, including the death of a teacher at Seoul Seoi Elementary School and the Sookmyung Girls’ High School twins scandal.

The show also appears to have struck a chord with some international viewers, with a flood of comments in various languages, including Arabic, posted on the social media account of Park Ji-yeon, who played U-jin’s mother in Episode 5.

A scene from "Agent Kim Reactivated" / Courtesy of SBS

“Agent Kim Reactivated,” an SBS Friday-Saturday drama, is another production that delivers catharsis to viewers through a plot centered on retaliating against those deemed deserving of punishment. It may also be the year’s most successful drama.

The premise is straightforward: The world’s most ordinary father turns into its most dangerous man to hunt down those who kidnapped his daughter.

Despite the dominance of streaming platforms, the drama, packed with thrilling action scenes, recorded a viewership rating of 20 percent after just four episodes and ultimately ended with 23 percent. So Ji-sub, who played Agent Kim, is already regarded as a strong contender at this year’s SBS Drama Awards.

Actors promote "Agent Kim Reactivated." Xportsnews

Though their settings differ, these productions share a common feature: They deliver satisfaction to viewers by showing people who often go unpunished in real life finally facing consequences.

There are concerns, however, that some may have gone too far in their attempts to offer viewers a satisfying experience. “Agent Kim Reactivated” was criticized for the excessive violence in some of its action scenes, while “Teach You a Lesson” came under fire for sugarcoating the physical punishment of students.

The popularity of stories about teaching deserving wrongdoers a lesson appears likely to continue for some time. The satisfaction of seeing evil punished is a long-standing formula, and basing antagonists on real-life villains who often escape punishment provides fertile ground in capturing viewers' attention.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.