Condolence Wreath Protest Followed by Candlelight Vigil
Calling for Resignation of City Councilor, Parent of School Violence Perpetrator
Victimized Student Forced to Eat Sand and Bullied
In an elementary school in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, a school violence incident has caused a stir, and local parents are holding a candlelight vigil following a protest with condolence wreaths.
According to the Bundang community and KakaoTalk open chat rooms on the 7th, the 'Seongnam Citizens' 1st Candlelight Vigil' involving residents will be held on the 9th at 6 p.m. around the plaza in front of AK Plaza at Seohyeon Station in Bundang. The rally will last about two hours, during which residents plan to raise their voices for the eradication of school violence and call for the resignation of the offending student's parent, a city council member.
Earlier, according to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and Seongnam City Council, four sixth-grade students at an elementary school in Bundang-gu committed acts of violence against one student from April to June. The perpetrators reportedly forced the victim to eat a mixture of snacks and sand in a park and bullied them by pressing down on their body as a game penalty. After confirming these facts, the education authorities held a school violence countermeasure committee meeting and ordered two of the perpetrators to issue written apologies and change classes. The other two, who were less involved, were each required to submit written apologies and perform four hours of school service or just submit a written apology.
On the 28th of last month, a condolence wreath protest condemning Assemblyman A, whose child was identified as a perpetrator of school violence, took place in front of the Seongnam City Council in Gyeonggi Province. [Source=Yonhap News]
Subsequently, when it was revealed that one of the perpetrators was the child of Councilor A of Seongnam City Council, affiliated with the People Power Party, Councilor A posted an apology stating, "As a parent, I bear great responsibility for not properly teaching my child." On the 20th of last month, Ahn Cheol-soo, a People Power Party lawmaker, issued a party expulsion order through the 'People Power Party Bundang Gap Members' Council's Position on Seongnam School Violence,' demanding "Take responsibility and leave the party." The next morning, Councilor A submitted a resignation from the People Power Party Gyeonggi Provincial Party. That afternoon, members of the Democratic Party in Seongnam City Council held a press conference urging Councilor A to voluntarily resign.
Before the candlelight vigil, parents had voiced their concerns through a condolence wreath protest. On the 23rd of last month, about 100 condolence wreaths were lined up on the sidewalk in front of the elementary school where the incident occurred, led by local parents. The wreaths bore messages such as "Child, Bundang mothers will stand with you," "School violence perpetrators! Sincerely apologize and leave," and "Apologies until forgiveness is granted." On the 28th, a second condolence wreath protest demanding Councilor A's resignation took place in front of the Solsup Madang of Seongnam City Council. Parents condemned Councilor A again with phrases like "The city council must immediately start expulsion," "Resign and leave Seongnam," and "Don't dirty Bundang, get out."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
