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The death in the line of duty of a teacher who was accused of child abuse while disciplining students involved in school violence has been recognized.

On the 13th, the Jeonnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) announced, "The Seoul Administrative Court accepted the late teacher Baek Du-seon's family’s request to cancel the denial of survivor benefits for death in the line of duty."

According to the Jeonnam branch of KTU, in 2019, while working at Geumsan Middle School in Goheung-gun, Jeonnam, Teacher Baek was accused of child abuse by parents due to corporal punishment administered during the process of disciplining students involved in school violence.

Although Teacher Baek received a non-prosecution disposition from the prosecution after reaching an agreement with the parents, he suffered separate personnel and financial disadvantages due to disciplinary actions, and unable to overcome feelings of frustration and loss, he made an extreme choice in March 2021.

National Teachers' Union Logo [Image source provided by National Teachers' Union]

In response, the Jeonnam branch of KTU and the bereaved family formed a committee to restore the late teacher’s honor and submitted a petition signed by more than 5,000 teachers to the Ministry of Personnel Management demanding recognition of death in the line of duty.

However, after two rejections of the survivor benefits claims in January and September of last year, they filed a lawsuit to cancel the decision and ultimately obtained recognition of death in the line of duty.

The Jeonnam branch of KTU stated, "Although delayed, we welcome the ruling that acknowledges the causal relationship between the late teacher’s death and official duties," adding, "We hope the court’s decision protects the late teacher’s honor and comforts the bereaved family."

They continued, "The recognition rate of death in the line of duty among teachers is less than 30%, which is low compared to other public officials, and especially lower for teachers who died by suicide," emphasizing, "Active efforts to improve the system are needed to expand recognition of teachers’ deaths in the line of duty."