Lee Ju-ho: "Teachers with Difficult Duties Will Be Granted Official Leave... Promoting the Haneul-i Law"

Emergency Meeting Held on the 12th with Deputy Prime Minister Lee Juho and Provincial Education Superintendents
"Measures Such as Administrative Leave for Teachers Unable to Perform Duties Due to Mental Illness"

The government is pushing for the enactment of the so-called 'Haneul-i Act' following the death of 8-year-old Kim Haneul at an elementary school in Daejeon. The aim is to allow authorities to place teachers who are deemed unable to perform their duties properly due to mental illness or other reasons on administrative leave.

On the 12th, Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, said in his opening remarks at a meeting with provincial education superintendents held at the Government Seoul Office, "The Ministry of Education and education offices recognize the gravity of this matter and will prepare fundamental measures to ensure that such a tragic incident never happens again."

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, is speaking at the meeting with provincial and metropolitan superintendents of education held at the Government Seoul Office on the 12th. Photo by Ministry of Education

He added, "We will revise the law to allow necessary measures such as administrative leave to be taken for teachers who have difficulty performing their duties due to mental illness, following certain procedures, and will promote the so-called Haneul-i Act."

Minister Lee also stated, "We will establish appropriate measures, including making it mandatory to confirm the possibility of normal work upon reinstatement," and "We will devise ways to intervene urgently when teachers exhibit unusual symptoms such as violent behavior."

Addressing students and parents ahead of the new school term, he said, "We will thoroughly inspect student safety, control access of outsiders to schools, strengthen safety within schools, and closely monitor safety management at Neulbom Schools."

The political sphere also announced plans to legislate the 'Haneul-i Act.'

On the same morning, Kim Sang-hoon, Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party, said at a party floor meeting, "There is growing demand for legal amendments to immediately separate teachers who have issues such as mental illness," adding, "We will promptly hold a party-government consultation meeting to prepare measures to prevent recurrence."

Jin Sung-jun, Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, also wrote on Facebook, "We will promptly legislate the 'Haneul-i Act' requested by parents."

According to the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education, the perpetrating teacher had exhibited strange behavior several times before the incident, and although the education office visited the school to investigate just before the incident, they failed to prevent it.

The teacher took a six-month leave in December last year due to depression but returned after 21 days by submitting a medical certificate stating "capable of daily life." However, five days before the incident, on the 5th, the teacher damaged school property, and on the 6th, assaulted a colleague who spoke to them.

On the morning of the incident, the 10th, a supervisor visited the school, but the teacher did not meet with them and instead advised the principal and vice principal to take annual or sick leave before leaving. This has raised criticism that the accident could have been prevented if the authorities and school had responded more proactively.