Instructor Lee Do's courses vanish from Etoos amid backlash over Netflix show appearance

All courses by social studies instructor Lee Do have disappeared from the Etoos platform amid controversy over his decision to appear on a Netflix entertainment program after halting lectures ahead of the College Scholastic Ability Test, citing health reasons.

As of Tuesday, Etoos' official website showed no courses listed on Lee's instructor page. The page had carried 17 courses until recently, all of which have since been removed.

Nearly 100 student reviews that had been posted on the page were also taken down from the public listing.

Some observers have interpreted the move as Etoos beginning the process of dropping Lee, though the platform has yet to announce any formal contract termination or related action.

Lee announced Oct. 29 that he would be unable to complete his remaining lectures on Korean geography and world geography for students preparing for the 2027 CSAT. "I had been prioritizing lectures over my health, and warning signs began appearing in my body one by one," he said. "On the advice of my doctors, I decided to spend the rest of 2026 — for the first time — taking care of myself."

The controversy erupted Thursday, when Lee attended a press conference for the Netflix program "Devil's Plan: Dead Again" — just one week after his announcement. Critics accused him of irresponsibility, with comments including "Was it all a lie?" and "Did you abandon your students just to become a celebrity?" The timing drew particular scrutiny given how close the event fell to the CSAT.

Lee's launch of a personal YouTube channel to promote the show also drew criticism.

As the backlash grew, Etoos posted an apology on its official website Monday, saying it had "coordinated schedules with the instructor and supported filming to ensure lectures continued as normal, but the agreed schedule was ultimately not kept due to circumstances on the instructor's end." The platform added: "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused to students' learning."

Lee, who majored in geography education at Seoul National University, gained attention as the youngest CSAT instructor at Etoos. He previously appeared in the Netflix program "Solo but Want to Date," released last year, and is set to appear as a player in "Devil's Plan: Dead Again," which premieres Tuesday.