School Safety Mutual Aid Association to Provide Compensation Upon Family’s Application
Includes Survivor Benefits and Consolation Money
A compensation payment of approximately 600 million KRW is expected to be made to the family of Kim Ha-neul (7), who was killed by a teacher on school grounds.
According to the education authorities on the 23rd, the Daejeon School Safety Mutual Aid Association plans to initiate the payment process as soon as Ha-neul’s family applies for the compensation. The School Safety Mutual Aid Association is an institution established under the "Act on the Prevention and Compensation of School Safety Accidents" to promptly and appropriately compensate students, staff, and participants in educational activities who suffer damages from school safety accidents. Kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools, special schools, and lifelong education facilities are required to join the mutual aid association.
On the 14th, the bereaved family members carrying a portrait of the late Kim Ha-neul (7) are leaving the funeral hall. Photo by Yonhap News
The compensation for Ha-neul is estimated to be around 600 million KRW. Survivor benefits include compensation for survivors calculated by multiplying the monthly salary, monthly actual income, or average wage by the expected future employment period, along with consolation money. For students, the calculation is based on the urban daily wage rate for ages 19 to 65, which results in an estimated lost income of about 600 million KRW for Ha-neul. The law specifies consolation money as 20 million KRW for the victim, 10 million KRW for the parents if the victim is a minor, and 5 million KRW each for siblings and grandparents. The mutual aid association will determine Ha-neul’s family relationships to distribute the consolation money accordingly.
Konyang University provided about 30 million KRW to cover Ha-neul’s funeral expenses, and the possibility of overlapping compensation for this amount is also being investigated. The mutual aid association reportedly held two meetings with Ha-neul’s family recently to discuss the compensation. It is also expected that the compensation will be paid first, followed by a claim for reimbursement against the offending teacher.
Ha-neul was stabbed to death by teacher A (48, female) on the afternoon of the 10th at an elementary school in Daejeon. After the after-school care class, while Ha-neul was about to go home, A lured her to the audiovisual room saying she would give her a book and stabbed her with a weapon. A immediately attempted self-harm after killing Ha-neul and has been hospitalized in the intensive care unit since. Due to A’s slow recovery and use of a ventilator, the police have not been able to conduct a face-to-face investigation with A since the incident occurred.
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