"Need to Reveal Why the Perpetrator Teacher Returned to Work After Only 20 Days"
In Daejeon, an 8-year-old child was fatally stabbed by a school teacher wielding a weapon, prompting the education sector to express condolences.
On the morning of the 11th, letters, flowers, snacks, and dolls left by citizens were placed at an elementary school in Seo-gu, Daejeon, where a first-grade elementary school girl was murdered. Photo by Yonhap News
The Daejeon branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) issued a statement on the 11th, saying, "The grief of the bereaved family over the horrific tragedy that occurred at a local elementary school is beyond imagination," and "We deeply express our condolences with a heavy heart."
The Daejeon branch added, "The full details of the incident will be revealed through police investigation, but before that, Superintendent Seol Dong-ho must bow his head and apologize for the tragic event that occurred at the school site," and "Furthermore, the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education must thoroughly investigate why the perpetrator teacher returned to work only 20 days after applying for a six-month leave of absence, and why it was the victim student's grandmother, not someone else, who discovered the child."
The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) also expressed condolences, stating, "We are deeply shocked and devastated that such an unthinkable incident occurred at a school." In a statement released that day, KFTA said, "We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family who are engulfed in indescribable sorrow," and urged, "We call on investigative agencies, the Ministry of Education, and the Daejeon Office of Education to thoroughly investigate this incident to uncover the truth and causes, and to establish measures for prevention and recurrence."
They continued, "Any act that threatens student safety at school must never be tolerated," emphasizing, "Fundamental improvements to prioritize and protect student safety are absolutely necessary."
Choi Kyo-jin, Superintendent of Sejong City Office of Education, expressed on his Facebook that "It is unbearably tragic that such an incident occurred at a school, which should be the safest place." Jeong Geun-sik, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, also wrote on Facebook, "We mourn with the Seoul education community the student who sadly passed away," and "We offer our deepest condolences to the bereaved family enduring the pain of losing a descendant before their parents or grandparents, and extend our sympathies to the students, parents, and staff who are overwhelmed with grief and shock."
The day before, a man in his 40s, a teacher at an elementary school in Seo-gu, Daejeon, stabbed and killed 8-year-old elementary student Kim Ha-neul with a weapon. According to Daejeon police and fire authorities, around 6 p.m. that day, Kim and the teacher, Mr. A, were found stabbed on the second floor of an elementary school building in Gwanjeo-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. Police reported that Teacher A, who had been on leave due to depression, returned to work in December last year and was recently reported to have shown violent behavior toward fellow teachers.
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