Attempted Patricide Followed by Killing 3-Year-Old Son... Teacher Status Maintained for 8 Months Without Disciplinary Action

Maintained Teacher Status for Eight Months After Attempted Familial Murder Without Disciplinary Action
First Trial Scheduled Next Month Revealed Belatedly

Amid the shock caused by the assault on an elementary school student in Daejeon, it has been revealed that a teacher in Gyeongbuk, who was suffering from depression and on leave, attempted to kill his father but failed, and later killed his own 3-year-old son before attempting an extreme act. It is reported that this teacher committed the second incident while maintaining his status as a teacher for eight months without any disciplinary action following the attempted murder.

According to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education and the police on the 12th, the first trial for a man in his 30s, Mr. A, who was indicted on charges of killing and attempted killing of a family member, will be held at the Daegu District Court Gimcheon Branch in March. In March of last year, Mr. A, who had taken parental leave from a middle school in Gyeongbuk, attempted to kill his father about a month later but failed. In June of last year, while the investigation was ongoing, Mr. A additionally applied for medical leave from the education authorities. However, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education only took disciplinary action against Mr. A for the attempted killing of a family member in October of last year, after being notified by the investigative agency that Mr. A had been indicted without detention for the incident.

On December 24th of last year, while disciplinary review procedures were underway, Mr. A committed the crime of killing his 3-year-old son at his home. At that time, after killing his son, Mr. A also attempted an extreme act in his vehicle. It is reported that Mr. A’s pre-existing mental illness worsened as he was referred to the disciplinary committee of the Gyeongbuk Office of Education and faced trial for the attempted killing of a family member.

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education suspended Mr. A from his position two days after the killing incident and later held a disciplinary committee which dismissed him. Due to this, there are concerns that if Mr. A had not taken additional medical leave while under investigation for the attempted killing of a family member, he might have returned to the classroom as a teacher. The Gyeongbuk Office of Education explained the eight-month delay in disciplining Mr. A after the attempted killing by stating, "Normally, disciplinary committees are not held during the investigation phase," and "If disciplinary action is taken before indictment, the individual may take legal action, which poses a burden."

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education announced measures to manage teachers to prevent tragic incidents like the Daejeon elementary student murder. The office will require teachers to submit an official medical certificate when applying for medical leave and a certificate of full recovery upon returning to work. Additionally, psychological counseling and treatment support to protect teachers’ mental health will be expanded. Furthermore, the student return-home management system will be strengthened, establishing a principle of parents accompanying students home, and in unavoidable cases, a pre-designated proxy system will be operated where a designated guardian accompanies the student.