Instructor Lee Do faces backlash for suspending lectures before exam

Social studies instructor Lee Do apologized on the 10th after suspending his geography lectures just three weeks before the College Scholastic Ability Test. The controversy follows a pattern of repeated curriculum interruptions and recent appearances at a Netflix production presentation while students' study plans were disrupted.

Social studies instructor Lee Do is embroiled in controversy after suspending his lectures just three weeks before the College Scholastic Ability Test. This follows a pattern of similar interruptions due to health issues last year, and criticism regarding his responsibility toward students has intensified as he recently attended a production presentation for a Netflix variety show and announced the launch of a personal YouTube channel during this period of instructional vacancy.

On the 29th of last month, Lee Do announced via the Etoos notice board that it would be difficult to continue his Korean Geography and World Geography lectures for the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test preparation. He explained that he must focus on recovering his health following medical advice. The timing of the sudden announcement, occurring so close to the exam, presented a significant variable that could disrupt the entire study plans of students who had been waiting for his lectures for a long period.

The controversy expanded further when Lee Do attended the production presentation for the Netflix variety show 'The Devil's Plan: Dead Again' and shared news regarding the opening of his personal YouTube channel. Questions have been raised regarding the appropriateness of continuing broadcast appearances and personal content activities while lectures are suspended for health reasons. Even considering the different natures of teaching and broadcasting, the core of the criticism lies in the fact that new activities were revealed while the educational content students were waiting for remained suspended.

The situation is being viewed with increased gravity because this is not the first time the lectures have been halted. In 2025, Lee Do stopped all curriculum uploads starting from February and March, and in June of that same year, it was revealed through an Etoos notice that he had entered a period of rest due to health issues. During a subsequent appearance on MBC's 'Omniscient Interfering View,' he explained that it was difficult to continue his teaching work because he could not look at a monitor for long periods due to corneal issues.

This year, the lecture schedule also faced consecutive setbacks. The upload of the concept course, which was scheduled to be completed in January, was delayed, and the follow-up course scheduled to begin in February was postponed without prior notice. Although some lectures were released in April, no additional uploads followed. In late July, he announced that Korean Geography and World Geography lectures would be uploaded by early August, but this promise was also not kept. Dissatisfaction has accumulated as the lectures students waited for were repeatedly not provided according to schedule.

As a result, only one of the six planned curriculum courses was uploaded normally. Responses to students inquiring about the release schedule of follow-up courses and study plans were also delayed for a long period. In the education market, which has a clear deadline like the College Scholastic Ability Test, a lecture vacancy is not merely a failure to provide content, but a matter of different weight as it can directly infringe upon the time and learning opportunities of students.

As criticism spread, Lee Do posted an apology on social media on the 10th. He admitted, "For two consecutive years, including last year, I have failed to take responsibility for the curriculum until the end. It is my fault without excuse," acknowledging that he took away the students' time by delaying decisions despite knowing his health was poor. Rather than the health issue itself, he identified his failure to explain the situation sufficiently and make responsible decisions at the appropriate time as his fault.

He also bowed his head to the criticism surrounding his broadcast appearances and the opening of his YouTube channel. Lee Do stated, "It appeared as though I was prioritizing other activities while in a state of not having finished the work I should have completed as an instructor." He further promised to suspend all broadcasting and personal content activities until his health recovers. It remains uncertain whether the late apology and declaration of activity suspension will restore the trust of the students.

Etoos also issued a statement on the 9th, apologizing to students and stating that while they supported schedule coordination and filming to ensure lectures could continue normally, the agreed-upon schedule could not be kept due to the instructor's circumstances. Subsequently, Lee Do's courses and student reviews have disappeared from the website, and the Q&A board has been closed. However, they have not officially disclosed specific follow-up measures, such as whether his contract will be terminated.

The repeated situation of curriculum interruptions for two consecutive years serves as a case showing how an instructor's personal brand can conflict with the learning rights of students in the online education market. While health deterioration can happen to anyone, the continuity and predictability of lectures are core conditions of educational services for students preparing for exams with fixed schedules like the College Scholastic Ability Test. Especially since students build their study plans based on the expertise and trust of an instructor, the responsibility and subsequent response following a lecture suspension are subject to stricter evaluation.

With the inability to return the time lost to students, attention is focused on whether Lee Do's apology and declaration to suspend activities will lead to actual fulfillment of responsibility. How he will resolve the distrust left by repeated lecture vacancies, and whether the educational platform can establish a response system to protect students, are emerging as further points of contention in this controversy.

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