At the 27th annual Jeonju International Film Festival, I had the chance to check out a new film that is coming to theaters soon in Korea called Teaching Practice: Idiot Girls and School Ghost 2. One of the main reasons I sought this film out at the festival was because of its title and its seemingly horror inspired promotional images. Since most of this year’s horror programming at the festival leaned heavily toward Japanese films, I was especially interested in finding a Korean horror film in the lineup.
Going in blind I was a little hesitant. The title made it sound like a direct sequel, and I wasn’t sure if I would be completely lost without seeing the previous film first. Luckily, that wasn’t the case at all and this movie works completely as a standalone sequel and immediately gave me vibes similar to the Whispering Corridors franchise.
Since my expectations were pretty much neutral going in I was ultimately surprised at the overall tone of the movie. Rather than being a straight horror film, it blends supernatural with teen comedy elements to create something charming and genuinely funny while also feeling deeply rooted and relevant to Korean high school culture.
The film follows Kang Eun-kyung, played by Han Sun-hwa, a new teacher who arrives at an all-girls high school and discovers a black magic club run by three students. After some snooping, she learns that the girls have sold their souls to a demonic entity in exchange for better test scores. In an effort to save them, Eun-kyung enters a supernatural realm to reclaim their souls, and through that journey begins to better understand the immense pressure her students are living under.
Even though the film stays relatively light and comedic throughout, I found its horror elements to be campy good fun and its social commentary a little on the nose but ultimately effective. Beneath all of the supernatural chaos is a story about the brutal academic pressure Korean students face, particularly surrounding the College Scholastic Ability Test, better known as Suneung (수능), the exam that often ends up defining a huge part of a student’s life after high school.
After the screening, director Kim Min-ha and lead actress Han Sun-hwa held a Q&A session where they spoke about the film and answered audience questions. During the discussion, Kim Min-ha mentioned that he was heavily inspired by the Whispering Corridors series and wanted to create a new kind of school centric genre film that explored similar themes while taking on a much lighter and more approachable tone.
While the Q&A already gave a lot of insight into the film, I still wanted to learn a little more about the experience of actually making it. Because of that, I reached out to actress Lee Hwa-won, who plays Haruka/Jung Min-ji, one of the members of the black magic club, to talk about her experience working on the film, her thoughts on the character, and her journey as an actress.
(This interview was originally conducted in Korean and then translated to English)
Justin: The film’s premise leans toward horror, yet the final result is a bright and vibrant comedy. What was the vibe like on set? Was the filming process as much fun as the audience’s experience watching it?
Lee Hwa-won: The filming process itself was really enjoyable. The director is such a cheerful person, so I think that naturally created a great vibe on set.
Justin: The story features three ghosts that occupy three floors of the school and each represents the core subjects of Korean, English, and Math. As a member of Korea’s younger generation, why do you think these three subjects were chosen as the foundation for the hauntings? Furthermore, what did the subjects of Korean, English, and Math represent to you personally during your own college entrance exam days?
Lee Hwa-won: In the Korean education system, those three subjects, Korean, English, and Math, occupy the most important roles. Since I was a piano major, math wasn't as big of a priority for me, so I focused my energy on Korean and English.
Justin: Director Kim Min-ha mentioned being inspired by the Whispering Corridors series that began in the 90s. Were you already familiar with this iconic franchise? On a personal note, are you a fan of horror movies, and do you have a favorite film within the genre?
Lee Hwa-won: I’ve heard of the series, but I haven’t actually seen it. I don’t really enjoy watching horror movies—I’m a bit of a coward, to be honest.
Justin: In the film, students and teachers aren’t so much afraid of the Black Magic Club as they are eager to ask them to pray for better grades. Do you see this as a reflection of the intense pressure Korean students face regarding university admissions? How much of the actual school environment do you think this portrayal captures?
Lee Hwa-won: I definitely think it reflects the pressure that Korean students feel regarding college admissions. However, the atmosphere seems a bit different from when I was in high school. Then again, I went to an arts high school, so the vibe might have been different compared to a regular academic high school. In my school, we were all working toward the same goal of getting into music college, so everyone was very dedicated and we generally followed our teachers' guidance closely.
Justin: The students in the film form a deep bond with a teacher who is willing to risk everything for them. Do you have a teacher or mentor from your own life who left a lasting impression on you?
Lee Hwa-won: The teachers I met while attending the KAFA (Korean Academy of Film Arts) Actors' Course really stick in my memory. Because the class sizes were so small, we were very close, they looked after us almost like family.
Justin: This project strikes a delicate balance between comedy and supernatural tension. Was it difficult to navigate the line between these two genres? In particular, was there a specific scene where managing those shifting emotions felt most challenging?
Lee Hwa-won: In the scene where the three of us are tied up in the gym, it was quite challenging to perform extreme emotions in a comedic way. Especially with the 'Dokki-ro-ima-kka' character constantly doing a tribal-style dance around us... trying to hold back my laughter while keeping my performance serious and grave is what I remember most.
Justin: Having successfully tackled the unique genre of horror-comedy, are there any new genres or character types you’re eager to explore next? What side of yourself are you most looking forward to showing the public in your future work?
Lee Hwa-won: Though this movie didn't lean into 'shinpa' (intense emotional melodrama)... I'm actually curious about how I'd handle a very serious tear-jerker. I’m not usually the type of person who cries much in my daily life, so I have a real ambition to see if I can pull off a deep emotional crying scene well.
Teaching Practice: Idiot Girls and School Ghost 2 will be released theatrically on May 13, 2026, in South Korea.
