Cho Hee-yeon: "If Malicious Complaints Are Linked to Yangcheon Elementary Teacher's Death, We Will Report"

When an elementary school teacher in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, died by suicide at an apartment in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, Cho Hee-yeon, the Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, expressed his intention to thoroughly investigate the truth.

On the 2nd, Superintendent Cho posted on his SNS account, "Another heartbreaking incident that cannot be expressed in words has occurred, and my heart is shattered," adding, "I visited the teacher's funeral yesterday and listened to the bereaved family's words. I was at a loss for what to say. Once again, I offer my deepest condolences." He continued, "We will firmly and strictly verify the reasons why the teacher felt compelled to make such a painful choice," emphasizing, "The Office of Education will gather as much testimony and information as possible from the deceased's fellow teachers and school officials and will sincerely cooperate with the police investigation."

According to the police and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, on the 31st of last month, A (38), a 14-year veteran teacher, fell to her death from an apartment in Goyang-si. A was the homeroom teacher for the 6th grade this year and was on medical leave until the day of her death. The police are investigating the circumstances of her death, including requesting forensic analysis of her mobile phone, and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is also verifying detailed information with related parties.

While teacher communities and teacher organizations have raised suspicions that A was suffering from malicious complaints from parents, Superintendent Cho stated, "If a connection between the deceased's death and malicious complaints is confirmed, we will report it to the investigative authorities."

He also said, "To respond more swiftly when educational activities are disrupted, we will consider forming a rapid response team for child abuse at the level of the Education Support Office and operating a comprehensive response team for the protection of educational activities directly under the superintendent," adding, "We will soon announce the measures the Office of Education is preparing to protect educational activities based on field demands."

Teacher organizations have insisted on a thorough investigation into whether external factors such as malicious complaints from parents contributed to A's death. The Elementary School Teachers' Union issued a statement on the day, saying, "Contrary to the Yangcheon-gu elementary school's attempt to attribute the deceased's death to personal issues such as depression, according to testimonies from many fellow teachers, the deceased had cases where 6th-grade students disobeyed or rebelled against guidance, and combined with complaints blaming the teacher from parents, she took annual and sick leave without completing the first semester." They added, "Just as was the case initially at Seoi Elementary School, the deceased's death should not be dismissed as a personal matter. There are still several questions remaining in the police investigation results regarding new teachers at Seoi Elementary. If the Yangcheon-gu case is dismissed as a personal issue, the essence of the problem cannot be found."

Meanwhile, at the elementary school where A worked, citizens and teachers continued to visit to pay tribute to her on the day. At the school's main gate, as was the case at Seoi Elementary, many citizens and teachers left messages honoring the deceased, and condolence wreaths from teachers were also being delivered.