Top math tutor Jung Seung-je drew attention after revealing that a system exists to cultivate star tutors based on academic credentials and physical appearance.
Jung and top Korean-language tutor Yoo Dae-jong appeared as guests on the KBS 2TV variety program "Oktapbang-ui Munje-a," which aired Tuesday.
During the episode, cast member Song Eun-i asked what process aspiring tutors must go through to enter the field.
Jung said the barrier to entry is low. "Anyone who has completed four semesters at a two-year college is qualified," he said, adding that in the past, many people turned to tutoring because they struggled to find other employment.
When cast member Joo Woo-jae asked whether star tutors could be grouped into generations, Jung said Seo Han-saem, known for the catchphrase "underline this," represented the first generation, and Son Joo-eun the second.
Jung then placed himself in the third generation and Yoo in the fourth, saying the newest wave of instructors now emerging belongs to the fifth generation.
It was Jung's description of how fifth-generation tutors are developed that surprised the cast. "Online lecture platforms recruit people with strong academic backgrounds and good looks and start grooming them from their first year of university," he said. "In some cases, they are raised just like K-pop idol trainees."
Yoo pointed to Joo Woo-jae and said, "That's basically what fifth-generation tutors look like." Joo played along, drawing laughs by agreeing: "That's right — tall and skinny."
choigo@heraldcorp.com
