Comedian Lee Su-ji transformed into a kindergarten teacher character, delivering laughs and a sting of reality at the same time. Going beyond simple parody, she captured the real struggles teachers face on the ground — and viewers are overwhelmingly relating to it.
On April 7, Lee’s YouTube channel uploaded a video titled 'Kindergarten Teacher Lee Min-ji’s Never-Ending 24 Hours.' In this content parodying the EBS documentary Extreme Job, Lee acts out a kindergarten teacher’s day that runs from 4 a.m. until late at night. In less than a day, the clip surged past 730,000 views and quickly became a hot topic.
In the video, Lee powers through a non-stop schedule: early-morning care, guiding kids at drop-off, teaching classes, taking photos, supervising pick-up, and even night care. Meanwhile, parent complaints never let up. Requests ranged from organizing classes based on a child’s MBTI, to specifics about wet wipe brands and camera gear for photos — even invasive questions hinting at prying into a teacher’s private life — adding a sharp sense of realism.
One standout bit shows she “switched to an iPhone” just to satisfy parents’ requests, and her constant need to keep an endlessly friendly tone while caring for children draws laughs but also highlights the emotional labor teachers endure. Even after late-night care, scenes of cleaning the classroom, crafting learning materials, and doing paperwork make it clear a kindergarten teacher’s job goes far beyond simple childcare.
Public reaction has been explosive. Current and former educators especially chimed in with comments like, "It’s not exaggerated — if anything, this is the mild version," "Real life is several times tougher than the video," "It’s funny but so sad," and "This isn’t comedy — it’s a reality exposé." The video has already racked up over 4,700 comments.
Lee Su-ji previously went viral for her detailed portrayals of a Daechi mom, a yoga instructor, and a rapper. With this kindergarten teacher character, she’s made another powerful impression. Above all, the video is drawing attention for making viewers rethink kindergarten teachers’ working conditions and the problem of excessive parent complaints.