"Note Saying 'I Love You' to a Student"... Controversy Over Disciplinary Record of New KFTA President

2013 Disciplinary Warning
Graduates "Notes Saying 'I Love You' to Specific Student"
Teachers' Union "Not an 'Inappropriate Relationship'"

Park Jeong-hyun, the newly elected president of the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) and the youngest ever to hold the position at 44 years old, was revealed to have been disciplined in the past due to his relationship with a former student.

Park Jeong-hyun, the newly elected 39th President of the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations, elected as the youngest president in history
[Photo by Kyotong]

According to education circles on the 22nd, Park was serving as a homeroom teacher for the third-year students at a high school located in Incheon in 2013 when he was referred to a disciplinary committee and received a minor disciplinary action of a "reprimand," after which he was transferred to a nearby middle school. During the recent KFTA presidential election, allegations of "sexual misconduct" related to this incident were raised, but Park explained that it was merely a special interest. He stated that he was disciplined due to complaints of favoritism during the guidance process.

A KFTA official confirmed, "It was confirmed that the disciplinary action was for violation of maintaining dignity, not sexual misconduct. The allegations were raised during the election process. Park’s side claimed the allegations were false and requested the removal of the posts," adding, "There may be no substance to the allegations." The official also noted that just as a teacher can be reported for child abuse over a single wrong word, even suspicion of favoritism can lead to disciplinary action for violating dignity. They also requested the opposing candidate’s side to refrain from making speculative allegations.

However, some students who attended the school at the time pointed out that it was difficult to view the matter as simple favoritism. It was explained that Park had given notes containing phrases like "I love you" and "Your scent is in the car" to a student, and when this became known to the parents, the homeroom teacher was replaced mid-semester. Park was also criticized for irresponsibly leaving his students, who were preparing for the college entrance exam, without any explanation or apology. Questions were raised about whether he was the right person to represent teachers' rights and protect student rights as the head of the KFTA.

The KFTA side said, "We have nothing special to say regarding the notes." Park stated, "Please accept the KFTA official’s statement that the allegations of inappropriate relationships are not true," and added, "I will work harder for the field after being elected."

Park is currently working as a teacher at Buwon Girls' Middle School in Incheon. He is the second president from among middle school regular teachers following the 33rd president Lee Won-hee (a teacher at Jamsil High School). Born in 1980, he graduated from Dongguk University and Dongguk University Graduate School (Master’s degree) and has worked at Gwankyo Girls' Middle School, Incheon International High School, and Mansu Buk Middle School. He has served as spokesperson for the Incheon KFTA, policy negotiation committee member of the KFTA, and operating committee member of the Korea Education Newspaper. He has also been a member of the Ministry of Education’s education policy advisory committee, the Ministry of Education’s revised curriculum review committee, and chairman of the teacher organization committee of the Teacher Education Society.