The Substitute

At an elite high school, good grades and a bright future can mask some pretty nasty secrets. The Substitute (2026) is a Korean teen crime thriller about three students who find themselves in a very dicey situation just prior to the college entrance exam. The story centres on Kang Geon Tae (Cha Kang Yoon), a very bright student from a fairly poor family. He’s at Jeonggyeong High School on a special scholarship. He’s always been first in his class. His dream is to get into a top university. All of that is in jeopardy because of one mistake from his past. He’s worked hard to get to where he is, but now he’s faced with an impossible choice.
Nam Jae Yeop (Bae Hyeon Seong) has the ideal life on the surface. He’s from a very wealthy family and he’s got top grades. There’s a lot of private angst and frustration beneath the surface though. Once he’s found out Geon Tae’s secret he uses it to blackmail him and gets him to agree to sit the college entrance exam in his place. That’s a massive risk for Geon Tae’s future and his freedom.
Joo Hee Dong (Park Yoon Ho) has always had the utmost respect for Geon Tae and regards him as a role model. He’s very proud of their friendship. Jae Yeop’s arrival has started to change that though. As the exam day gets nearer the suspicions are ratcheting up and the boys are under immense pressure. Their secrets and their competing agendas are driving them towards a confrontation. There’s one exam at the heart of it all and each of them has to make a decision as to how far they’re prepared to go. Their decisions will lead them to a crime which could alter the course of all three of their lives.