"Not Allowed to Transfer Schools Even at 9 Weeks Pregnant"…Kim Seung-hee's Daughter Files Lawsuit as School Violence Victim

Claim for Damages Against Former Secretary Kim and Spouse
"Will Demand Transfer and Other Actions Through Dispute Mediation"

The victim student, who was assaulted by the elementary school daughter of former Presidential Office Protocol Secretary Kim Seung-hee, has filed a civil lawsuit.

On the 2nd, Hankook Ilbo reported, citing the victim student's legal representative, lawyer Hwang Tae-ryun (Seorin Law Firm), that the victim's side filed a damages lawsuit last month at the district court with jurisdiction over the school against the parents of the perpetrator student.

Kim Seung-hee, former Presidential Office Protocol Secretary [Photo by Yonhap News]

The victim's side is also considering administrative appeals and lawsuits against the local education office, dissatisfied with the decision of the School Violence Countermeasures Committee (School Violence Committee), but since it will take considerable time for the results, they first filed a civil lawsuit. Lawyer Hwang emphasized, "The purpose of this lawsuit is not 'compensation' but the actual 'protection' of the victim student."

The daughter of former Secretary Kim is a third grader at an elementary school in Gyeonggi Province and, in July, assaulted a second-grade female student at the same school multiple times with a recorder and fists in the school restroom, causing injuries requiring nine weeks of medical treatment. The victim's parents requested the transfer of the perpetrator student, but the School Violence Committee's evaluation score was 15 points, one point short of the mandatory transfer criterion of 16 points, making forced transfer impossible.

The assaults by former Secretary Kim's child reported to the School Violence Committee occurred on July 10 and 17. Accordingly, the persistence category, which can be scored from 0 to 4 points, was given 1 point. Although it appears that the school violence incidents happened a week apart, considering that both incidents occurred right after the weekly after-school class, former Secretary Kim's daughter assaulted the victim student every time they met over two weeks.

The local education office's School Violence Committee on the 5th of last month imposed a 10-day suspension and a 'class change' penalty on former Secretary Kim's daughter. Since the perpetrator and victim are not in the same grade, the class change is criticized as an ineffective disciplinary measure. Moreover, both the perpetrator and victim are in lower grades and will continue attending the same school for several years, facing each other. Therefore, the victim's side is expected to demand substantial separation measures such as transfer through dispute mediation procedures in this damages lawsuit.

The victim's side also strongly criticized Gyeonggi Education Superintendent Lim Tae-hee.

Previously, Superintendent Lim said at the National Assembly Education Committee's audit on the 26th of last month, "It is currently difficult to take measures such as forced transfer after the School Violence Committee's decision," and added, "I understand there are other cases where even with three assaults, only 1 point was given in the persistence indicator. We will investigate further."

In response, lawyer Hwang retorted, "Who would send a child who suffered serious injuries requiring nine weeks of medical treatment back to the school with the perpetrator student?" and expressed indignation, "Is it that a transfer cannot be ordered unless the child is beaten more? Are you saying the child has to be beaten more?"

The school violence allegations against former Secretary Kim's daughter were raised at the National Assembly Education Committee audit on the 20th of last month, and former Secretary Kim resigned voluntarily seven hours later.