Amid growing public demand for the restoration of teachers' authority, Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, has instructed the prosecution to improve procedures to ensure that teachers' rights are fully protected during investigations of cases related to student discipline.
According to the Ministry of Justice on the 8th, Minister Han urged the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to thoroughly listen to the testimonies of all parties involved in the cases, including teachers, students, and school and education office officials, when investigating and handling cases. He also instructed that if the superintendent of education submits opinions, these should be actively considered, and cases should be handled promptly to quickly resolve the unstable status of teachers. He emphasized the need to pay close attention to ensuring that teachers' legitimate student guidance is fully protected.
Recently, there has been a reckless increase in reports of child abuse against teachers, leading to concerns that on-site teachers are not being respected during the case handling process, which is causing legitimate educational activities to be suppressed.
In response, the Ministry of Justice is forming a joint task force with related ministries such as the Ministry of Education to improve law enforcement in child abuse investigations and prosecutions, and is preparing measures to address the reality where teachers' legitimate educational activities are not sufficiently guaranteed.
A Ministry of Justice official stated, "Although discussions on amending child abuse-related laws are underway in the National Assembly, regardless of the timing of the legal amendments, it is necessary to improve the enforcement of criminal laws related to child abuse so that on-site teachers can make educational judgments without being intimidated and can be respected."
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