The Gyeongnam branch of the National Teachers' Union recently criticized the provincial education office's response to the issue of abuse of power by an elementary school principal in the Yangsan area.
On the afternoon of the 23rd, the Gyeongnam branch of the union held a teachers' rally on the road in front of the provincial education office's main gate, urging ▲ withdrawal of the investigation request against the victim teacher ▲ reinvestigation centered on the victim teacher ▲ severe disciplinary action against the offending principal ▲ regular comprehensive surveys for each school.
They also posted protest messages on the "Requests to the Superintendent" bulletin board on the provincial education office's website.
Teachers from the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union are holding a Gyeongnam Teachers' Resolution Rally on the road in front of the Gyeongnam Office of Education. [Photo by Lee Seryeong]
The union stated, "The newly appointed teacher involved is a victim and a witness," and claimed, "Instead of protecting the whistleblower who reported the principal's abuse of power, they have been treated as a suspect."
They raised their voices, saying, "Without properly verifying with the students or teachers involved, they requested an investigation on charges of child abuse. Stop the sloppy investigation."
Branch head Noh Kyung-seok said, "We expected the education office to investigate the principal's abuse of power and impose appropriate punishment on the principal, but we cannot understand why they requested a police investigation on child abuse charges against the victim teacher."
He added, "I remember the superintendent saying on this stage on September 4th that they would do their best to secure educational rights. If that statement was sincere, they should now withdraw the investigation request against the victim teacher, discipline the audit officers and those responsible, and severely discipline the principal."
A teacher acquainted with the victim teacher appealed, "As the head of the educational community, the education office must listen to the voices of teachers who are members of the community," and "Please help so that we can work, educate, and stabilize the educational environment in Gyeongnam."
Noh Kyung-seok, former head of the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, is speaking about the abuse of power case involving the principal of an elementary school in Yangsan. [Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]
About 300 teachers from the province participated in the rally that day, and about 30 police officers, including a riot squad, were deployed to control traffic and ensure safety around the rally site.
The union has been conducting a one-person protest at the entrance of the education office's main building since the 10th regarding this issue, and plans to hold a second rally on December 2 if there is no response from the provincial education office to their demands.
Earlier, victim teacher A appealed on an online community on the 31st of last month, saying that after being appointed to an elementary school in Yangsan in September, they were subjected to demeaning remarks by the principal.
The post stated that the principal said, "To reduce complaints, you should even go into debt to buy clothes, wear makeup, and get eyebrow tattoos to manage your appearance," and "Kids these days look at a teacher from head to toe. If the teacher is pretty, there are no complaints."
It was also stated that the principal wrote their own career and teacher A's career on the blackboard in front of students and said, "Teacher A's career is short, so you all suffer," and "Who is prettier, the homeroom teacher or the principal?"
The provincial education office confirmed the post and began fact-finding through on-site investigation and audits at the school, and on the 14th, removed the principal from their position.
Subsequently, they confirmed circumstances that the victim teacher wrote about the abuse in diaries and letters to students, and requested an investigation into emotional child abuse of the teacher and misconduct by the principal to ascertain specific facts.
The provincial education office plans to continue its own audit separately from the investigation request.
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