"Is Cheonanham a Title?" Controversy Over High School Teacher's Offensive Remark
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 13th, former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min sharply criticized a high school teacher who hurled abusive language at former Cheonan ship captain Choi Won-il in relation to the 'Cheonan Ship Sinking Incident,' saying, "He is unqualified to teach students."
In a post on his Facebook that day, former lawmaker Yoo said, "It is said that the person who poured abusive language and insults at former Captain Choi is a current teacher at a private high school in Seoul. If true, it is truly shocking."
He pointed out, "Is he really a teacher who teaches students whose personalities and worldviews are still forming?" and added, "I want to ask what that teacher thinks about North Korea's Kim Jong-un and Kim Yong-chol, who are the masterminds behind the Cheonan ship bombing that sank 46 navy personnel into the sea."
He raised his voice, saying, "How can the pain of the Cheonan ship be different from the pain of the Sewol ferry?" and "How can the weight of death be more or less?"
Furthermore, he emphasized, "I will watch closely to see what judgments and decisions the police, prosecution, and courts will make regarding defamation against the surviving Cheonan ship soldiers."
A teacher A from Huimun High School in Gangnam-gu, Seoul posted on their SNS. Photo by Facebook capture.
Earlier, Teacher A from Whimoon High School in Gangnam, Seoul, posted on his Facebook, "If the Cheonan ship is considered a bombing, the captain who should have been dismissed and exiled is talking nonsense somewhere," and "What kind of honor is the Cheonan ship? The Cheonan ship is not the Sewol ferry."
As the controversy spread, Teacher A deleted the post and issued an apology. He apologized, saying, "It was entirely my fault to express my brief thoughts about someone who had served a public role as a soldier for a long time with excessively harsh insults and criticism."
The school also announced plans to replace Teacher A as the homeroom teacher of the class he was in charge of. The school stated, "We will ensure that all teachers are cautious in their language use not only in classes but in all areas and maintain political neutrality."
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