Spread of 'Seoi Elementary Teacher Photo'... Bereaved Family Says "Not the Person Involved, No Further Damage Should Occur"

"Secondary Damage from Uncertain Information"

A teacher in their 20s at Seoi Elementary School in Seocho-gu, Seoul, took an extreme step, and the bereaved family appealed to stop further damage, stating that photos of another person are being mistakenly circulated as images of the deceased during their lifetime.

A, who identified himself as the deceased’s cousin older brother, said on his blog on the 30th, "I confirmed that photos claimed to be of my cousin are circulating mainly on online communities."

The late teacher's cousin older brother, Mr. A, revealed the teacher Seo I-cho's appearance during her lifetime on the 27th. [Image source=Bereaved family's Naver blog]

He continued, "The photos currently circulating are not of my cousin, and the person in the photos is very confused and distressed to find out that their photos are being shared without permission."

A explained, "Due to the illegal distribution of the photos of the person in the pictures, the person has been receiving worried calls and messages from acquaintances and family, and both the person and those around them are suffering unnecessary harm."

Earlier, posts titled "Seoi Elementary teacher’s photos during lifetime" were repeatedly uploaded on various online communities. The posts included a photo of a woman standing with her back to the beach. However, A stated that aside from the photo released on the 27th, no other photos have been disclosed.

A warned, "If photos without consent continue to spread illegally through communities, we will have no choice but to take legal action against those involved and distributors."

On the 24th of last month, citizens visited the memorial altar for Teacher A of Seoi Elementary School, set up at the Gangnam Seocho Education Support Office in Seoul, to pay their respects to the deceased. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Finally, he emphasized, "I deeply appreciate and understand the desire to mourn my cousin’s death and to widely share it. However, unverified information is circulating in communities, causing the bereaved family and the person involved to suffer unintended secondary damage. While I understand the sentiment, I earnestly ask that the indiscriminate spread of false information be stopped."

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Meanwhile, the deceased, who was a first-grade homeroom teacher at Seoi Elementary, was found dead on the school premises on the 18th. The Seoul Teachers’ Union, with the family’s consent, released the deceased’s diary on the 24th, which contained entries such as, "After coming to work on Monday, the workload bomb and chaos caused by ○○ (student’s name) overlapped, and I felt overwhelmed and wanted to give up everything."

It also included, "I felt suffocated. My hands trembled while eating, and I almost cried."

The Seoul Teachers’ Union stated, "It is clear that the deceased experienced difficulties in school life due to work and student issues. This aligns with the union’s report that the deceased struggled because of students’ disruptive behavior, such as shouting loudly."