Kim Tae Ri is set to make her first regular appearance on a variety show with tvN’s new reality series, After School Teacher Tae Ri. The program, scheduled to premiere on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at 7:40 PM KST, follows a unique after-school theater class at a small-town elementary school.
Kim Tae Ri will serve as the head teacher and guide her young students as they prepare a special theatrical performance.
Joining her are Choi Hyun Wook and Kang Nam, who will act as assistant teachers. Choi Hyun Wook, a theater counselor, is known for listening carefully to the students and bringing a playful energy. Kang Nam, famous for his variety show appearances, will act as the class mood-maker
This project is meaningful for Kim Tae Ri because she started acting in a university theater club. This role allows her to return to her roots while exploring variety television for the first time as a main cast member. Since the 35-year-old actress has rarely appeared on variety television, fans have jokingly called her a “variety show natural monument.” This program offers a rare chance to see her off-screen personality.
Produced by Studio Slam, the series is inspired by real-life after-school programs that helped revive struggling schools.
Kim Tae Ri joins the show at a career peak, having won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress for Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born in 2024. The series tells the story of Yoon Jeong Nyeon, a talented but poor girl in 1950s post-Korean War South Korea. She dreams of becoming a star in the traditional female theater art of gukgeuk.
The 12-episode series, aired on tvN, reached a peak national rating of 16.458% for its finale on November 17.
On the work front, Kim Tae Ri has not signed a new drama after Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born. Last year, she voiced the character Ju Nan Yeong in the animated romance sci-fi, Lost in Starlight.