15-05-2025
Star lecturer and outspoken advocate of ex-president quits teaching
Popular Korean history lecturer Jeon Han-gil, who gained infamy in recent months for his public support for disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, has retired from teaching.
The 54-year-old said earlier this month that his entire life had changed since Yoon's ill-fated martial law imposition and his subsequent impeachment. He said related controversy resulted him being expelled from TV shows and losing his friends, while his pupils expressed their disappointment and his wife had mentioned divorce.
"I'm stepping down from the podium (as a lecturer) but it's more of a new beginning than a retirement," he said, vowing to engage in media via his personal news website 1 Way News.
Jeon started his 26-year teaching career targeting students preparing for college entrance exams, before switching to those cramming for the state-run civil service exam. He had been among the most popular online lecturers here and had largely refrained from politically charged comments, but since last year has increasingly expressed right-wing views.
The most contentious comments of Jeon were related to his support of Yoon, his martial law declaration on Dec. 3, and his public mentions of controversial theories about election rigging. He defended Yoon supporter's Jan. 19 attack against Seoul Western District Court — prompted by the court issuing then-president's arrest warrant — and criticized the Constitutional Court for confirming Yoon's impeachment.
Regarding the recent wildfires in March this year that scorched the through southeastern region, he claimed that the fires were "started by North Korea and anti-state powers."
He said he was supposed to appear in the Netflix hit series "When Life Gives You Tangerines,' but his scenes were cut, possibly due to the controversies.
