[Seoicho 1st Anniversary] Memorial Procession in the Monsoon Rain... "Unchanging Scene, Frustrating and Apologetic" (Comprehensive)

1st Anniversary on the 18th... Memorial Procession Continues Despite Jangmat Rain
Teachers: "Nothing Has Changed... Additional Legislation Needed"
'Reckless Child Abuse Reports' Cited as Main Cause
Child Welfare Act Proposed in National Assembly... Considering Fairness Issues

"I feel frustrated that nothing has changed in the school environment, and I came here because I feel sorry for the late teacher."

On the afternoon of the 16th, Song Mo (30), a middle school teacher whom we met at the memorial space next to the Health and Safety Promotion Center of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul, said, "I came to the education office on a business trip and stopped by to pay my respects," adding, "Even after the Seo-i Elementary School incident last year, I have seen several cases where fellow teachers were reported for child abuse. I question what has changed in the education sector, but it seems the reality remains the same."

Memorial services marking the first anniversary of the death of the Seo-i Elementary School teacher are being held across the country. Despite the heavy monsoon rains, the line of colleagues paying tribute did not cease. On-site teachers expressed their condolences but lamented that nothing has changed over the past year. There were also strong demands for additional legislation to prevent indiscriminate child abuse reports.

On the 5th, citizens visiting the memorial space for the first anniversary of the death in the line of duty of a teacher from Seoi Elementary School, set up at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are observing a moment of silence. The memorial space is located next to the Health and Safety Promotion Institute of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and is open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on the 20th. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

At the memorial service, Lee Mo (45), an elementary school teacher, said, "The current revised Child Abuse Punishment Act’s definition of 'legitimate educational activities' is very ambiguous. The standards for 'emotional child abuse' are also unclear, so I feel that practically nothing has changed compared to before," adding, "If a teacher tries to block a student’s hitting with their hand or shouts, there is still a risk of being reported for child abuse, so they have no choice but to endure it." An education office employee, A, raised their voice, saying, "I hope the death of the late teacher will not be in vain," and "I hope a respectful atmosphere among parents, teachers, and students will be stably established in the education field." At the memorial space, phrases such as 'We will never forget you, teacher,' 'May you rest in peace there,' and 'We will surely create the happy classroom you wished for' were left behind.

Lee Mo (28), an elementary school teacher working in Gyeonggi Province, lamented, "The most heartbreaking thing is seeing teachers’ hearts tremble just from the sound of a phone ringing due to continuous calls from parents, and eventually having to visit a psychiatrist for treatment." Lee explained, "I believe the biggest reason this keeps happening is retaliatory child abuse reports," adding, "Even if a teacher gives proper guidance, being reported for child abuse is what most intimidates teachers and encourages violations of teachers’ authority."

These teacher opinions are also reflected in statistics. Hong Seong-du, director of the Teacher Authority Restoration Research Center at Seoul National University of Education, surveyed 855 elementary school teachers in Seoul this month about job stress. The item "I feel stress because the educational activities I perform are not legally protected" received the highest average score of 4.58. According to a survey conducted by the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations from the 9th to the 12th among 4,264 teachers and professionals nationwide from kindergarten to high school, the most urgent improvement needed to protect teachers’ educational activities was "amendment of the Child Welfare Act" (45.2%). Although the law was strengthened after the Seo-i Elementary School incident, making it mandatory to hear the superintendent’s opinion when a child abuse report is filed, the Child Welfare Act, which includes provisions on "emotional abuse," failed to pass in the last National Assembly. Article 17-5 of the Child Welfare Act defines "acts harmful to a child’s mental health and development" as emotional abuse, but teacher organizations argue that this has become the seed for indiscriminate reports against teachers.

This National Assembly session also saw the introduction of amendments to the Child Welfare Act by Jeong Seong-guk of the People Power Party and Baek Seung-ah of the Democratic Party, containing similar provisions: ▲specifying emotional abuse acts ▲clarifying that legitimate student discipline is not abuse ▲deleting reports from the child abuse information system if found not to be a crime after investigation.

However, there are also criticisms that it is unreasonable to include provisions specifically for teachers in the comprehensive Child Welfare Act. In the review report on the bill proposed by Jeong, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Child Rights Protection Agency submitted opinions stating that "making exceptions for a specific occupational group may raise issues of fairness."