The production team of "Please Give Me a Grade Teachers 2" explained the criteria for selecting participants related to the allegations of illegal transaction dealings of English instructor Jo Jeong-sik.
On the 13th, an interview for the Channel A entertainment program "Please Give Me a Grade Teachers Season 2" (hereinafter referred to as Teachers 2) was held at DDMC in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Present at the event were CP Kim Seung-hoon and PD Yoon Hye-ji.
"Teachers 2" is a program that provides customized solutions by Korea's best instructors to students and families struggling with grades. The first season aired from November 2023 to October 2024, achieving a peak viewership rating of 1.7% (based on nationwide data from Nielsen Korea) and receiving much love. The second season, featuring Yoon Hye-jeong, has been interacting with viewers since May.
While "Teachers 2" was smoothly underway, it suddenly hit a snag due to allegations of illegal transaction dealings involving participant and English instructor Jo Jeong-sik. On the 10th, the truth investigation group "Sherlock" reported that Jo Jeong-sik purchased mock exam questions from current high school teacher A for 58 million won. According to the report, A sold questions to 11 academies, including Jo Jeong-sik, over approximately five years from 2018 to 2023, earning around 238 million won. The transaction of educational materials by current teachers has been strictly prohibited since 2016. If discovered, they could face dismissal or termination, and it is illegal for teachers to hold concurrent positions.
Through legal representation, Jo Jeong-sik's side stated, "The information reported about instructor Jo Jeong-sik by a recent media outlet contains inaccuracies, resulting in serious damage to the instructor's reputation and social trust. Instructor Jo Jeong-sik and our legal team are confident that it is clear they are 'not guilty' regarding all allegations submitted to the prosecution, and instructor Jo Jeong-sik has never directly paid the teacher involved in the incident 58 million won."
With the allegations against the participant surfacing, the focus is now on the future. The production team remarked, "We were also unaware of the controversy. What Jo Jeong-sik mentioned was earlier this year, and they said they were included as witnesses in the investigation regarding over 100 individuals. We only knew they were being investigated and only recently heard that it has gone to the prosecution. It is not an individual investigation but a large-scale one, so we knew it would take a long time. Given the circumstances, it has been risky to take preemptive measures, so we are closely monitoring the situation."
This has brought again to the forefront the importance of participant verification. CP Kim Seung-hoon stated, "That said, we have not been selecting participants without criteria. We have always been checking. As we meet many subject teachers, we will discuss it further as the seasons progress to ensure uninterrupted progress."
In this season, Yoon Hye-jeong also joined the Korean language subject, completing the full lineup of Korean, English, and Mathematics. Regarding Yoon Hye-jeong's participation, CP Kim Seung-hoon and PD Yoon Hye-ji remarked, "Yoon Hye-jeong is the only one who hasn’t moved from public education to private tutoring, and she has ties with Jeong Seung-je. While we kept in touch regularly, she has been teaching in public education and is a homeroom teacher, which has made scheduling difficult. This presented a good opportunity, and although she initially intended to decline, after witnessing the process of how our program has changed the lives of students during the formative years of adolescence, she deeply resonated with us and decided to participate."
Although the authenticity was shaken due to the allegations against Jo Jeong-sik, the message that "Teachers 2" wants to convey is clear. CP Kim Seung-hoon stated, "There’s also an expression that if you don't keep up, you're a failure. While there is diversity in age and educational tips, it’s about discussing relationships. In the VCR, we aim to explore relationships, and in the studio, we want to convey the message to create an educational plan unique to our children while sharing some tips."
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