A steamy scene in the Korean drama "Notes from the Last Row" sparked public controversy. Lead South Korean actor Choi Hyun Wook was shown kissing a senior actress 30 years his senior.
Many viewers of the Korean drama "Notes from the Last Row" have admitted to being bothered by the age difference between Choi Hyun Wook and Jin Kyung. A viral kissing scene also made netizens reluctant to watch the drama, even though it was already on their watchlist.
Adapted from a Spanish series, the Korean drama Notes from the Last Row follows the story of failed writer-turned-Korean literature professor Heo Mun Oh (played by Choi Min Sik).
He discovers the extraordinary writing talent of a student who always sits in the back row of his class, Lee Kang (played by Choi Hyun Wook), and offers free private writing lessons as he develops an obsession with writing.
However, Lee Kang actually observes the seemingly perfect life of his peer, Kim Se Yun (played by Lee Ji Woo). He even secretly harbors an attraction to Kim Se Yun's mother. Meanwhile, Jin Kyung plays Professor Heo Mun Oh's wife.
Her character, Jo Hyeon Suk, is a professional therapist who strives to maintain stability at home while her husband lives in regret. For 20 years, the professor has been unable to publish a new novel, haunted by feelings of inferiority to his friend's success.
The viral steamy scene is a figment of Heo Mun Oh's imagination. The mysterious engineering student he mentored is shown passionately kissing his wife in their bedroom. "Really... I can't be bothered watching because of this scene," commented a netizen on Instagram.
"It's too much of a double standard when an older actor kisses a younger actress. It's just so-so, why make such a fuss about it," said a netizen. "The one to blame is Prof. Heo's imagination & the director who executed that imagination," wrote another netizen.
Amid the controversy surrounding Choi Hyun Wook and Jin Kyung's age difference, netizens have criticized the double standard. Several dramas have depicted senior actors kissing much younger actresses.
The intrigue of the Korean drama, Notes from the Last Row, is also intended to make viewers uncomfortable due to elements of obsession, manipulation, and ambiguity. For your information, Choi Hyun Wook was born in 2002 and is 24 years old.
Meanwhile, Jin Kyung was born in 1972 and is 54 years old. The six episodes of the Korean drama Notes from the Last Row aired simultaneously on June 26, 2026. All episodes can be watched with English subtitle on Netflix.
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