Live-Action Adaptation of Webtoon The Elementary School Student That I Love Canceled
The planned live-action adaptation of the controversial webtoon The Elementary School Student That I Love has been canceled following widespread backlash over its depiction of a romantic relationship between a female elementary school teacher and her male student.On July 4, production company Meta New Line announced that it would suspend all planning and development of the series, citing "serious concerns raised by society" and acknowledging the "changing sensitivities and expectations of the public." The company also issued an apology to the original creator for the renewed scrutiny of the 2015–2020 webtoon, which had previously been serialized on platforms such as Lezhin Comics.The story centers on a female teacher who develops romantic feelings for a man she meets through an online game, only to later discover that he is a fifth-grade student in her class. The premise sparked outrage from educators, parents, and readers, with many criticizing the work for allegedly romanticizing grooming behavior.South Korea's largest teachers' union, the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), led calls for the show's cancellation, warning that the story "sexualizes minors" and damages public trust in the teaching profession.In response to growing protests, major platforms including Naver Series, Kakao Page, and Ridibooks have pulled the original webtoon from sale. Naver stated that "a significant number of users raised concerns about the content," while Kakao Entertainment confirmed it halted distribution in coordination with the publisher.As of now, there are no plans to resume production or re-release the series on digital platforms. An English-language version of the webtoon is not available.Sources: Kuki News (Hye-sun Jung), YNA (Kyung-yoon Kim)
