"A parent who verbally abused saying, 'I ruined my child's life, so I will ruin yours too,' was a star instructor"

Parents of Students Caught Cheating on Suneung Protest 'Teacher Dismissal,' Reported for Verbal Abuse
"Police University Graduate Lawyer and Star Instructor"

Amid reports that a parent of a student caught cheating during the College Scholastic Ability Test verbally abused the proctor and was reported, claims have emerged that the parent is a police academy graduate lawyer and a star instructor.

Parent Visits Proctor After Cheating Incident

On the 16th, the day of the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test, a test taker is waiting for the exam to start at Ewha Girls' Foreign Language High School in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

According to the Seoul Teachers' Union on the 26th, the parent who protested to proctor A after their child was caught cheating in the 2024 CSAT was identified as lawyer B, a graduate of the Korean National Police University. The student was caught cheating on the 16th while taking the CSAT at a school in Seoul, attempting to mark answers after the exam bell had rung.

From the following day, the student's parent visited the high school where proctor A, a teacher, worked and held a one-person picket protest demanding “Resign from the teaching profession.” The picket signs read phrases such as 'Dismiss Teacher A' and 'Please report cases of human rights violations by Teacher A.' The student’s side claimed that they put down the pen immediately after the bell rang, but the proctor restrained them.

"I'm a Lawyer, I'll Ruin Your Life" Verbal Abuse

In particular, father B, who identified himself as a lawyer, reportedly verbally abused Teacher A over the phone, saying, “You ruined my child's life, so I will ruin yours too.” Feeling threatened, Teacher A took sick leave and did not go to school.

In response, the Ministry of Education and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education decided to file a complaint against B on the 24th. To protect the affected teacher, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is providing support such as special leave, psychological counseling, and emergency security services guaranteed by the Teacher Safety Mutual Aid based on relevant laws.

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Education for Seoul, stated, “The proctors objectively identified the student's cheating, and all three proctors agreed on this judgment. Personally obtaining the proctor’s identity to threaten them and holding picketing protests in front of the school are very inappropriate forms of objection.”

Claims Arise That He Is a 'King of Criminal Law' Star Instructor

According to Hankyoreh, B, a graduate of the Korean National Police University, is known among police exam candidates as a star instructor called the “King of Criminal Law.” The report states that B passed the bar exam in 2007 and currently lectures on criminal procedure law and criminal law at a major police academy.

The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations issued a statement on the 24th saying, “Proctor teachers prepare clothes that do not generate static electricity and silent watches out of fear of students’ protests, and even skip breakfast fearing stomach noises. Legal and financial support is needed for unexpected disputes.”