"Hit on the Head with Ice Chunks... Told to Eat Jjajangmyeon with Pebbles and Twigs"
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A controversy has erupted after allegations surfaced that a student at a middle school in Jecheon, Chungbuk, was subjected to school violence by classmates for nearly a year. The perpetrators reportedly engaged in sadistic acts such as forcing the victim to ingest deicing agents and lick the school fence. In response, the Chungbuk Office of Education is currently investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.
On the 30th of last month, a petition titled "My child is trying to commit suicide" was posted on the Blue House's national petition board. This petition has received preliminary consent from over 100 people and is currently under review by the administrators.
The petitioner, who identified themselves as the victim's parent, stated, "Since April 2021, continuous group school violence incidents have occurred at a middle school in Jecheon, Chungbuk. We became aware of the assaults after seeing videos posted by the perpetrators on Facebook."
The petitioner added, "In the video of the so-called 'bag shuttle' situation, our child appeared terrified and responded politely with honorifics to the perpetrator classmates, saying 'It's not hard.' The perpetrators threatened that if anyone revealed the abuse or assault, they would not leave my older and younger siblings alone," expressing outrage.
According to the petitioner, the victim endured continuous assault and bullying for nearly a year. In particular, the perpetrators forcibly made the victim consume a mixture of deicing agents and snow last winter, poured hand sanitizer on the victim's palm, and set it on fire with a lighter, among other sadistic acts.
The petitioner stated, "They even forced the victim to lick the school fence, saying 'Taste the middle school,' and struck the victim's head with an ice block, leaving the child unconscious for a while. The assaults and bullying continued from the moment the child arrived at school until returning home, but the homeroom teacher only said, 'Stop bullying,'" they claimed.
Furthermore, the petitioner said, "Even after advancing to the third grade recently, the child was hit on the leg with a wooden stick, resulting in a five-week recovery diagnosis (muscle tear). The perpetrators put salt, pepper, pebbles, and twigs into the child's jajangmyeon and told the child to eat it. When the child refused, they struck the head with a weapon, resulting in a three-week recovery diagnosis (concussion)."
The petitioner also claimed that the school provided no assistance. They said, "The school and homeroom teacher, who should remain neutral, seem to be trying to downplay and cover up the incident. They tell us, the victims, to bring proper evidence."
In conclusion, the petitioner appealed, "My child still finds it difficult to even think about the past incidents and has not fully disclosed the details of the bullying and assault. Our family of five is now trying hard to reveal the traces of verbal and physical abuse and to heal the child's wounds."
This petition spread across social networking services (SNS) and online communities, sparking outrage among many netizens.
Netizens responded with comments such as, "Expel the problematic students immediately. Protecting the rights of the perpetrators could cost a precious life. How unfair it must be for the victim's family," "Teachers who condoned school violence should be suspended," "How will the victim be compensated for the psychological damage? Teachers are bystanders and students are criminals," and "Please do not excuse them because they are young; I hope strong punishments are imposed."
Meanwhile, the Chungbuk Office of Education is reportedly investigating the case. A representative stated, "We plan to take necessary measures after understanding the situation based on statements from the victim and their family."
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