Actor Eom Tae-woong has announced his return to the screen with the movie “The Last Homework.” Directed by Lee Jeong-cheol, “The Last Homework” tells the story of a temporary homeroom teacher and children completing their final assignments in their unique ways.
The character stills released on the 13th highlight Eom Tae-woong’s transformation into the teacher Kim Young-nam. Kim starts unique lessons to help children with emotional barriers rediscover their happiness and dreams.
The film also sets up conflict with Park Sang-myeon’s character, an opportunistic vice principal who views Kim’s actions as troubling. This tension reflects a classroom environment shaped by the selfishness of adults, including a passive principal who sides with the parents and a powerful PTA chairman, played by Yoon Hyun-sook.
The story unfolds as children like Eun-bi (Hong Jeong-min) and Gi-hoon (Lim Han-bin) react with curiosity to their teacher’s unconventional assignments. Meanwhile, the film portrays the different reactions and personalities of 4th-grade students, such as Joon-soo (Lee Jae-jun), who dreams of becoming a scientist, and Chang-il (Cho Jae-young), who is deep in thought during an egg experiment.
Eom Tae-woong’s appearance in “The Last Homework” marks his return to audiences after a nine-year hiatus, with his last film being “Fork Lane” in 2017. His break was precipitated by a prolonged absence following a scandal involving inappropriate behavior.
In January 2016, Eom was accused of sexual assault by a massage parlor worker, identified as A, in Bundang, Seongnam. However, police investigations revealed that A, who was in custody for fraud charges, conspired with the owner, B, to extort money from Eom. Consequently, Eom was acquitted of the sexual assault charges but fined 1 million won for engaging in prostitution.
The scandal was particularly shocking as Eom Tae-woong had been appearing on the KBS 2TV family show “The Return of Superman,” showcasing his family life with his wife, Yoon Hye-jin, and daughter. The incident also drew more attention because Eom is the brother of renowned singer-actor Eom Jung-hwa, leading to a sense of betrayal among fans.
Amidst intense criticism, Eom publicly apologized, expressing regret for his actions. Despite ongoing negative public sentiment towards him, “The Last Homework” is set to release on September 3.