Memorial for Teacher Who Died After Suffering from Student Complaints
Over 500 Gather in Front of Jeju Provincial Office of Education
Calls for Recognition as Death in the Line of Duty and Systemic Reform
A memorial cultural event was held in front of the Jeju Provincial Office of Education on the afternoon of the 30th to honor a middle school teacher in Jeju who died after suffering from complaints from students' families.
On the afternoon of the 30th, participants at a memorial cultural event for a middle school teacher held in the courtyard in front of Jeju Provincial Office of Education raised placards reading "Truth Investigation Is Memorial" and shouted slogans. Photo by Yonhap News
The event was solemnly conducted with the participation of about 500 people, including the bereaved family, fellow teachers, students, and citizens. It was jointly organized by six teachers' organizations, including the Jeju Teachers' Union, the Jeju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, and the Jeju Federation of Teachers' Associations.
The ceremony began with a memorial ritual, followed by a commemorative dance performance by dancer Park Yeonsul, a video tribute to the deceased, memorial speeches by Jeju Provincial Superintendent Kim Kwangsu and a fellow teacher, a memorial song, on-site remarks, and a moment of reflection.
The bereaved family stated, "We ask society to help reveal all the circumstances that led to the necessity of choosing death and to restore the teacher's honor, so that recognition as a death in the line of duty and appropriate punishment can provide comfort to the young children and the remaining family members." They added, "We earnestly request that the system be improved so that students' rights and teachers' rights can coexist."
Kim Kwangsu, Superintendent of Jeju Provincial Office of Education, said, "As the superintendent responsible for education in Jeju, my heart is broken over an incident that should never have happened," and added, "We will overhaul and implement practical and effective measures to protect teachers' rights in the educational field."
On the afternoon of the 30th, a cultural memorial event is being held in the courtyard in front of the Jeju Provincial Office of Education to mourn a middle school teacher in Jeju who died after suffering from complaints from students' families. Photo by Yonhap News
Previously, in the early morning of the 22nd, a teacher in their 40s, referred to as Mr. A, was found dead in a storage room at a middle school in Jeju. Mr. A was discovered after the police launched a search following a report from the spouse that contact could not be made with the husband. It is reported that a note found in the teachers' office contained statements about struggling with conflicts involving students' families. The bereaved family stated that the deceased had suffered from such severe stress due to the complaints that they could barely eat.
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