Landing a job at one of South Korea’s biggest technology companies is a dream for many graduates. Walking away from that job to chase a completely different career is something few would dare to do. Yet that is exactly what actress Jin Ki-joo did years ago. Today, as she enjoys global success with Netflix’s hit K-drama Teach You a Lesson, an old resignation email she wrote while leaving Samsung SDS has resurfaced online, inspiring office workers and dreamers alike.

Netflix hit puts Jin Ki-joo back in the spotlight

Jin Ki-joo is currently receiving widespread praise for her performance in Netflix’s school drama Teach You a Lesson. The series, which premiered on June 5, has emerged as one of the streaming platform’s biggest international successes this month.
According to The Korea Times, the drama remained at the top of its global non-English TV chart for a second consecutive week. During the tracking period ending June 14, the show recorded 21.1 million views, a dramatic increase from the 6.4 million views it earned during its debut week.
The series stars Kim Mu-yeol, Jin Ki-joo and Pyo Ji-hoon, with viewers praising the cast for their performances. The show’s popularity has extended far beyond South Korea, ranking No. 1 in 46 countries, including South Korea, Japan and Brazil, while also entering the Top 10 in 91 countries worldwide.

As the drama continues to dominate Netflix charts, attention has unexpectedly shifted to a much older chapter of Jin’s life.

The resignation letter that is touching hearts

According to Felavu magazine report, Jin Ki-joo’s farewell email from her days at Samsung SDS has resurfaced on social media and online community forums.
The message was written when she made the difficult decision to leave her corporate career behind. In the email, Jin acknowledged that Samsung SDS was a good workplace and admitted that deciding to resign was far from easy.However, she explained that she carried a dream she feared she might regret abandoning. She wrote that years later, whether 10 or 20 years down the line, she did not want to look back and wonder what might have happened if she had never tried pursuing it.

One particular line from the email has struck a chord with many workers. Jin wrote, “They say adaptation leads to a frightening kind of resignation. So I drew my sword before it was too late,”

The message has been widely shared online, with many people describing it as both courageous and relatable.

From engineer to actress

Long before she appeared on television screens, Jin Ki-joo was building a career in technology.

She reportedly graduated from Chung-Ang University with a degree in Computer Engineering, a qualification that helped her secure a coveted position at Samsung SDS. Yet despite the stability and prestige that came with the role, Jin felt drawn toward a different future.

After leaving Samsung SDS, she explored several career paths. She worked as a broadcast reporter and later participated in a supermodel competition before eventually finding her way into acting.

Her acting debut came in 2015 with the drama Second 20s. She rose to fame through supporting roles in popular dramas such as Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016) and Misty (2018).

She later established herself as a leading actress with performances in projects across different genres, including the romance-thriller Come and Hug Me (2018), the workplace romantic comedy The Secret Life of My Secretary (2019), the mystery drama My Perfect Stranger (2023), and the political period series Uncle Samsik (2024).

More recently, she starred in the comedy-action drama Undercover High School (2025) and plays a fearless investigator in Netflix’s action series Teach You a Lesson (2026), earning praise for her performance.

Overcoming rejection along the way

Jin’s path to success was not smooth. In previous interviews, she has spoken about facing multiple rejections during the early stages of her acting career. Some industry professionals reportedly felt she was too old to be starting out as an actress, making auditions particularly challenging.

Despite the setbacks, she refused to abandon her goal. During an appearance on tvN’s You Quiz on the Block, Jin opened up about her unconventional career path. She described acting as one of the most unstable professions but also the work she loves the most.

She also shared her thoughts on career changes, explaining that pursuing a new path often requires giving up something secure. According to her, the most important question is whether the dream is something a person genuinely wants.

Today, Jin Ki-joo’s story is being viewed through a very different lens. In Teach You a Lesson, she plays Im Han-rim, an investigator with the Korean Educational Rights Protection Bureau, earning praise for her commanding screen presence and action sequences.

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