Councilor A Files Defamation Complaints Against Ten Parents
Parents Claim "Criminal Complaints Filed Using Undisclosed Personal Information"
Last year, a Seongnam City Council member who is the parent of a student accused in the so-called "sand school violence" incident at an elementary school in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, was sued for allegedly violating the Personal Information Protection Act.
According to a report by Yonhap News on May 2, the Seongnam Jungwon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province received a complaint last month from a parents' group requesting that Councilor A of the Seongnam City Council be punished for violating the Personal Information Protection Act. The complainants allege that Councilor A accessed the personal information of members of the parents' group, which had not been disclosed externally, and used it in criminal complaints. Previously, between January and February, Councilor A had filed defamation complaints against more than 10 members of this parents' group with the Bundang Police Station. In response, some of the members who were sued filed counter-complaints.
A police official stated, "The real names and phone numbers of the online cafe administrators, which should not have been disclosed externally, were, for unknown reasons, temporarily made public. The details will only become clear after an investigation."
Earlier, in February, the Bundang Police Station referred four students, including the child of Councilor A, to the juvenile division of the court on charges of school violence (including assault). Another student who was also accused was not referred because the allegations were not substantiated. The accused students are alleged to have, between April and June of last year, forced a peer at an elementary school in Seongnam to eat snacks mixed with sand and physically assaulted the peer by pressing down on their body as a game punishment.
Citizens and online cafe members urging the resolution of an elementary school bullying case involving the child of a Seongnam City Council member held a candlelight vigil on the afternoon of November 9 last year at Seohyeon Station Plaza, demanding the resignation of Councilor A. Yonhap News
This case became public in September last year after the victim's side filed a complaint. The education authorities convened a School Violence Countermeasures Committee (Hakpokwi) and imposed disciplinary measures on the perpetrators, such as class transfers and written apologies, depending on their level of involvement. However, criticism arose that the disciplinary actions were too lenient given the severity of the violence, with some calling them a "slap on the wrist," and rallies were held in the local community demanding the resignation of Councilor A.
As public criticism intensified, Councilor A left the People Power Party, his then-affiliated political party, in October last year and issued an apology stating, "I sincerely bow my head and apologize to the student who was harmed and their family, and I also express my regret to the citizens." He added, "As a parent, I am greatly responsible for not properly guiding my child. My child has also apologized to the victim and is remorseful for what happened. I will ensure that such incidents never occur again." In December last year, Councilor A filed an administrative appeal with the Seongnam Office of Education, claiming that the disciplinary measures imposed by the School Violence Countermeasures Committee on his child were excessive and requesting their cancellation.
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