Netflix K-Drama ‘Teach You A Lesson’ Among Most-Watched Series Globally In First Half Of 2026
Netflix's Korean drama "Teach You A Lesson" has emerged as one of the streamer's biggest global hits of the year, ranking sixth among the most-watched series worldwide in the first half of 2026 despite premiering as late as 5 June. The action series has notched up 54.9 million global views in its first six weeks, putting it on course to become Netflix's second most-watched Korean show ever, trailing only "Squid Game", according to the streamer's latest What We Watched report.
The series drew 48 million views in June alone and has featured consistently on Netflix's weekly non-English Top 10 list across 91 countries since launch, while also placing fourth among streaming originals in Nielsen's rankings for the week of 8-14 June with 611 million minutes viewed. It has proved especially popular in South Korea, topping the domestic TV chart for three consecutive weeks and remaining in the top five. Directed by Hong Jong-chan and written by Lee Nam-kyu, the show centres on a fictional government agency, the Teachers' Rights Protection Bureau, set up to intervene in a troubled school system.
In short
- "Teach You A Lesson" hit 54.9m views in six weeks on Netflix
- On track to be Netflix's second-biggest Korean show after "Squid Game"
- Topped South Korea's TV chart for three straight weeks
Explained simply
"Teach You A Lesson" is a television drama from South Korea that began streaming on Netflix in June 2026. The series follows a fictional government agency working to address problems within the country's education system.
The show has become one of Netflix's biggest successes globally in the space of just a few weeks. International audiences have increasingly embraced non-English language dramas in recent years, with several South Korean shows becoming major hits on streaming platforms.
The series has been particularly successful within South Korea, where it has topped the national television charts. This fits a broader pattern of South Korean cultural content achieving significant popularity outside Korea through streaming services.