Middle School Teacher in His 50s Assaulted During Class, Witnessed by Other Students
Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union: "Repeated Assaults on Teachers... Urgent Need for Protective Measures"
A middle school student has been booked by police on charges of breaking a teacher's rib with a baseball bat during class.
On May 31, Suwon Nambu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that they are investigating a teenage middle school student, referred to as A, on suspicion of causing injury with a weapon. A is accused of repeatedly swinging a baseball bat at a male teacher in his 50s, identified as B, during a physical education class at a middle school in Suwon at around 9:50 a.m. the previous day. B reportedly suffered a broken rib and other injuries and is currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital. It is known that other students present during the class also witnessed the incident.
The police brought A in for questioning and are currently investigating the motive for the assault. They plan to summon A and others involved for further questioning soon. A police official stated, "A has not yet undergone a formal suspect interrogation, and since B is still receiving medical treatment, further details about the incident need to be confirmed."
Meanwhile, on June 1, the Gyeonggi branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (Jeon-gyo-jo) issued a statement calling for measures to protect teachers in response to repeated assaults against educators. Jeon-gyo-jo pointed out, "Recently, cases of assault and verbal abuse against teachers have become increasingly frequent," and emphasized, "This is not merely an individual teacher's problem but a serious issue that threatens the entire educational environment of schools."
The union further stated, "This is not simply an accidental incident in the educational field, but the result of institutional neglect that has failed to protect teachers," and stressed, "After such assaults, a system to protect victimized teachers must function automatically, rather than forcing victims to request support and endure a passive response."
Previously, on May 27, a student assaulted a teacher at a high school in Jeju, leading police to book the student and investigate the circumstances. On May 9, a third-grade student at an elementary school in Gyeonggi Province kicked and verbally abused their homeroom teacher during class, committing acts of violence.
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