Duty After School

Duty After School (Korean: 방과 후 전쟁활동) is a 2023 South Korean television series that blends military sci-fi, thriller, dystopian, and teen drama genres. Lee Nam-gyu created the show, Yoon Soo wrote it, and Sung Yong-il directed it. The story is based on a webtoon of the same name by Ha Il-kwon, which was later serialized on Naver Webtoon. It follows high school students who are drafted as cadets to fight mysterious purple alien spheres that appear in the sky and endanger humanity. The series aired on TVING from March 31 to April 21, 2023, every Friday at 16:00 (KST), and is available for streaming on Viu and Viki in certain regions.

The show is split into two parts: Part 1 premiered on March 31, 2023, and Part 2 followed on April 21, 2023. The plot centers on senior students at Sungjin High School who are conscripted to battle these sphere-shaped creatures that have blanketed the sky, all for the chance to earn extra credit on their college entrance exams (CSAT). Using their university admissions as leverage, the students are trained in firearms and survival skills. Their instructor is Lieutenant Lee Chun-ho (played by Shin Hyun-soo), the platoon commander for Class 3–2.

The cast includes an ensemble of actors: Shin Hyun-soo as Lee Chun-ho, a lieutenant who starts off strict but grows to care deeply for his students; Lee Soon-won as Sergeant Kim Won-bin, Chun-ho’s loyal assistant, who is teased for looking older than his 21 years; Im Se-mi as Park Eun-young, the homeroom teacher focused on student safety; and Kwon Eun-bin as Yeon Bo-ra, a frank and hot-tempered student who bullies Ae-seol. Other students include Kim Ki-hae as Kim Chi-yeol, an introvert who occasionally leads rescues; Kim Min-chul as Do Soo-cheol, best friends with Woo-taek; Kim So-hee as Lee Soon-yi, timid and soft-hearted; Kim Su-gyeom as Kwon Il-ha, a troublemaker who bullies others; Kim Jung-lan as Park So-yoon; Moon Sang-min as Wang Tae-man, the class mood maker; Shin Myung-sung as Im Woo-taek; Shin Su-hyun as Cha So-yeon, who has a crush on Chun-ho; Shin Hye-ji as Choi Yeon-ju, kind and altruistic; Ahn Da-eun as Kim In-hye; Ahn Do-gyu as Kook Young-soo, a selfish student obsessed with studying; Yeo Joo-ha as Kim Yu-jung, the class president; Oh Se-eun as Hong Jun-hee, a professional complainer; Woo Min-gyu as Kim Duk-joong, a military enthusiast; Yoon Jong-bin as Jo Jang-soo, the coura