The webtoon received the excellence award at the inaugural World Comics Contest hosted by Lezhin Comics in 2014. Photo: Handout
The webtoon The Elementary School Student I Love, which has drawn widespread criticism for depicting a romantic storyline between an elementary school teacher and her student, has been pulled from distribution across major platforms, with plans for a live-action adaptation also being scrapped in response to the mounting controversy.
As of now, the series is no longer available for purchase on Naver Series.
“We suspended sales of the webtoon as a precautionary measure in response to widespread user feedback suggesting there could be potential issues. There is no set date for resumption of the webtoon series,” an official from Naver Webtoon told The Korea Herald on Friday.
Kakaopage has also removed access to the title.
“After recognising the related issue, we consulted with the publisher and decided to suspend sales of the work,” said a Kakao Entertainment official, noting that a return date has not been determined.
Additional platforms have followed suit. Kyobo Book Center, South Korea’s largest bookstore chain, blocked search results for the series from its digital content platform on Thursday. Digital content provider Ridi has likewise removed the series from its platform.
The move to suspend distribution follows intense backlash after news broke that the webtoon was being developed as a television series.
The adaptation, previously announced by C&C Revolution — the original publisher — was slated to be directed by Jung Sung-hyun with a script by Jung Se-hyuk, known for theatrical work including Rooftop Room Cat. Further details, including casting and release timelines, had yet to be announced.
Serialised on multiple webtoon platforms from 2015 to 2020, The Elementary School Student I Love centres on Shim Cheong-ah, an elementary school teacher who forms a connection with an online gaming partner who is later revealed to be her student, Im Dang-su. Shim initially develops romantic feelings for the online game player, but those feelings turn platonic after she discovers the truth.
The series received the excellence award at the inaugural World Comics Contest hosted by Lezhin Comics in 2014.
Despite its accolades, the title faced intense backlash following news of its planned drama adaptation.
The Korea Federation of Teachers’ Associations issued a statement Tuesday condemning both the source material and its adaptation, stating: “Attempts to sexualise children under the guise of creativity and artistic originality can never be justified.”
The KFTA added, “Considering the harmful impact this drama could have on society and educational settings, as well as the potential violence it may inflict on children and adolescents, we strongly urge an immediate halt to production.”
The group further argued that portraying a teacher developing romantic feelings for an underage student is “a clear glamorisation of grooming” and not a legitimate form of storytelling in any genre.
In response to the backlash, production company Meta New Line confirmed via a local outlet on Friday that it would abandon the adaptation plans. “We accept the voices of concern that have been raised socially with a heavy heart,” company officials told local media, adding that they apologise to the original author of the webtoon series for the controversy. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
