Female Teacher in Daejeon Engages in Same-Sex Relationship with Female Student... Education Office Investigates Situation

Current Teacher at Daejeon Middle School Dating Same-Sex Students
Three Victims in Total... Struggled After Being Told to Break Up
Teacher Transferred to Another School... Currently on Sick Leave

At a middle school in Daejeon, it has been reported that a current teacher was in a relationship with a same-sex student for over nine months, prompting the education office to investigate the situation.

Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education building.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 18th, TJB and Chungcheong Today reported allegations that a female teacher working at a middle school in Daejeon was dating a female student in the third grade of middle school. According to a letter disclosed to the media by the victim student's parents, it included statements such as, "People around us don't seem to approve of our relationship," and "I wonder if it would have been better to delay saying 'I love you' or asking to date."

Additionally, the victim's family claimed that there was inappropriate physical contact during the teacher-student relationship. The teacher has since been transferred to another school and is currently on sick leave following the controversy.

There were more victims. It was revealed that the teacher had inappropriate relationships with two other students before the third-grade female student. The teacher was also reportedly very popular due to active communication with students through social networking services (SNS). During this process, the teacher began private contact with the first victim student, and they discovered they were both sexual minorities. Subsequently, the teacher continued inappropriate physical contact such as hugging and holding hands with the student, and in November 2022, the teacher had several dates outside school with another student, maintaining an inappropriate relationship.

The second victim student told the media that after being told to break up by the teacher in May of last year, they went through a very difficult time, even having negative thoughts. The victim students gathered courage hoping no more victims like themselves would emerge and appealed for the teacher to receive proper punishment.

As the controversy grew, the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education decided to conduct a joint investigation focusing on the parties involved. An education office official told local media, "This is the first time we have heard that there are multiple victim students," and added, "We plan to hear the teacher's position more clearly. We will start a joint investigation with related departments on the 20th."

This is not the first case of a teacher in Daejeon having an inappropriate relationship with a student. On the 11th, it was reported that a physical education teacher (in his 40s) at a high school in Daejeon had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a female student, prompting the education office to launch an investigation. The teacher is currently suspended from duty.