Star instructor Lee Do apologizes for halting classes before CSAT

Star instructor Lee Do has vowed to suspend his broadcasting and personal content activities following criticism that he prioritized entertainment appearances after halting his lectures three weeks before the CSAT. Lee admitted to failing to complete his curriculum for the second consecutive year after citing health issues for his sudden suspension on the 29th of last month.

Star instructor Lee Do has issued a formal apology just two days after sparking controversy by continuing to attend entertainment press conferences and engaging in YouTube activities after halting his lectures only three weeks before the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). Accepting criticism that he failed to fulfill his responsibilities as an instructor and disrupted the study plans of students, Lee declared that he will suspend his broadcasting and personal content activities. He specifically admitted to failing to complete his curriculum this year, following a similar occurrence last year, expressing clear reflection on his judgment and actions.

On the 10th, Lee posted a lengthy apology on his Instagram, stating, "I sincerely apologize to the students who trusted and joined the Korean Geography and World Geography curriculum this year." He bowed to the students, adding, "I shook your plans during the most important period, and for two consecutive years, I have failed to take responsibility for completing the curriculum. It is my fault without excuse." He acknowledged that beyond simple health issues, his decisions and responses during the process of suspending lectures impacted the students.

Lee emphasized his responsibility regarding the process of deciding to halt his lectures. "Even though I knew my health was not good much earlier, I delayed the decision thinking I could hold out until the end," he confessed. He explained that despite being aware of his health difficulties in advance, he attempted to continue lecturing without sufficiently informing his students. He added, "If I had been more honest and told you earlier, students would have had time to prepare with other lectures or materials."

He also apologized for his actions following the suspension of lectures, which was the core issue fueling student anger. Mentioning that he attended an entertainment production press conference and opened a YouTube channel while failing to finish his lectures, Lee stated, "I prioritized other activities while I had not yet finished the work I should have completed as an instructor." This is interpreted as an acknowledgment of the criticism that his decision to continue broadcasting and personal content production after declaring a lecture suspension due to health reasons appeared to students as a reversal of his priorities of responsibility.

Lee also revealed his future direction. "In the future, I will only promise lectures when I can take responsibility until the end," he emphasized. While not meaning a permanent end to his teaching career, the intention is to prioritize the ability to complete a course as the primary standard for opening future lectures and managing curricula. However, he stated, "Until my health is recovered, I will suspend broadcasting and personal content activities and take time to reflect on my responsibilities as an instructor and my past judgments." He expressed his position to enter a period of self-reflection to restore trust with students by stopping the external activities that caused the controversy.

The controversy intensified when Lee abruptly announced the suspension of his lectures on the 29th of last month, citing health problems. At the time, he expressed regret to his students, saying, "It breaks my heart that I have affected the learning of the 'Bboguri' [students]." He declared the suspension of lectures, stating, "Following medical advice, I have decided to take time for the first time to look after myself for the remainder of 2026." While explained as an inevitable decision for health recovery, it resulted in a burden for students to readjust their study plans and entrance exam strategies ahead of the CSAT.

The controversy surrounding the lecture suspension grew more intense as Lee's broadcasting activities became known. On the 5th, he attended the production press conference for the Netflix entertainment show 'The Devil's Plan: Dead Again'. This appearance at an official broadcasting event occurred shortly after he suspended the curriculum responsible for student learning. Furthermore, criticism spread further when he announced the opening of his YouTube channel two days later and uploaded a short video promoting the aforementioned entertainment show. Points were raised that his appearance in broadcasting and personal content production, while suspending lectures due to health issues, went against the common sense and expectations of students.

Etoos, his affiliated education company, also responded as student dissatisfaction grew. On the 9th, Etoos posted a notice on its website titled 'A Message to Lee Do's Students,' apologizing and stating, "We have caused great concern to students during an important period." However, criticism followed that the company might not be sufficiently collecting the dissatisfaction and issues raised by students by closing the question board where the controversy was concentrated. Aside from the instructor's individual health issues, how the education company would compensate for the students' right to learn and their damages emerged as another important axis of the controversy.

Lee, a graduate of the Department of Geography Education at Seoul National University's College of Education, became well-known to students by teaching Korean Geography and World Geography at Etoos. He expanded his field into broadcasting by appearing not only in lectures but also in the Netflix dating show 'Better Late Than Single' and MBC's 'Omniscient Interfering View'. However, this incident revealed that the trust between students consuming educational content and an instructor cannot be maintained solely through fame or the expansion of an individual's field of activity. Criticism continues that if a major decision like suspending lectures is made at a time leading up to the CSAT, his subsequent actions must also be acceptable from the perspective of the students, leading to Lee's apology and declaration to suspend his activities.

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