Teacher Lee Young-seung Case, Parents Cleared of Charges
"Forensics Conducted but No Evidence of Crime"
Superintendent "Very Embarrassed," Teacher Groups "Demand Reinvestigation"
Regarding the death of the late teacher Lee Young-seung at Howon Elementary School in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, the police have reportedly concluded that school officials and parents are not guilty. In response, educational authorities and teacher organizations have expressed their bewilderment.
On the 22nd, Lim Tae-hee, Superintendent of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, posted on his social media (SNS), “Considering the teachers who are paying close attention to this case in the educational field, the police decision can only be very perplexing,” and added, “While respecting the bereaved family’s future stance, we will seek additional institutional responses.” He also emphasized, “Legally, the Office of Education can provide legal support and assistance only if the bereaved family files an objection to the police’s non-prosecution decision,” and “We will do our best to ensure that measures to protect teachers’ rights operate effectively in the educational field.”
The Gyeonggi Provincial Teachers’ Union Federation stated in a statement that day, “There are unfortunate victims and casualties, but the police investigation results that there are no perpetrators to punish are difficult for the school field to understand or accept.” The Gyeonggi branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union also declared, “We condemn the police investigation results and the non-prosecution decision, and express deep regret and anger.” On the 23rd, the union will hold a press conference demanding a full reinvestigation and condemning the police investigation results.
Earlier, according to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education’s investigation in September last year, teacher Lee Young-seung received repeated calls from parents after a sixth-grade student in her first year as a homeroom teacher in 2016 injured the back of their hand while cutting a PET bottle during class. Additionally, in 2021, one parent was found to have persistently demanded attendance processing despite their child’s long-term absence due to home study, COVID-19 symptoms leading to school attendance suspension, and illness-related early leave, causing the teacher to suffer from malicious complaints. There were also suspicions that the school regarded Lee Young-seung’s death as a simple fall despite knowing she had endured such malicious complaints.
Subsequently, the police investigated three parents on charges including coercion and five school officials on charges of neglect of duty, but after eight months of investigation, all were decided to be “not guilty” and the cases were dismissed.
The police explained that regarding allegations that parents continuously contacted the teacher to harass and obstruct her work over their children’s treatment or absence issues, “there is no evidence sufficient to meet the conditions for detention.” They also added that forensic analysis was conducted on the deceased and the parents’ mobile phones, but no signs of threats, coercion, or criminal charges were found.
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