"Shaved His Head, Filmed Videos, and Extorted Money"... Outrage Over Four Years of School Violence

High School Sophomore Bullied by Four Peers for Four Years
School's Tepid Response Raises Concerns... No Separation Implemented

Photos and videos revealing the abuse suffered by a male high school student, who was subjected to group bullying by several peers over four years, have been made public, causing shock.

According to JTBC's "Incident Chief" on June 6, a second-year high school student, referred to as A, in Cheongyang County, South Chungcheong Province, had been continuously bullied by peers since the second year of middle school. The main perpetrators were four students who threatened A with a weapon, assaulted him, tied his hands and feet with duct tape, covered his mouth and eyes, and then forced him to remove his pants. On A's birthday, they called their abuse a "gift," forcibly shaved his head while laughing, filmed the act, and shared the video with other friends.

Using the threat of spreading these videos, the perpetrators extorted nearly 10 million won from A over four years. They demanded amounts ranging from a few thousand won to several hundred thousand won at a time, and A had to lie to his parents to get the money. A's family stated, "Sometimes they took several hundred thousand won at once," and added, "They often demanded expensive headsets or sports equipment. The actual amount of damage is likely greater than 10 million won."

A did not tell anyone about the abuse for years, fearing retaliation from the perpetrators. About a month ago, a cousin living next door noticed signs of school violence and informed A's family.

A said, "I feel like I've lost everything in the world, and it's unbearably hard. I feel so intimidated that I can't do anything and have no strength to escape. I've endured this for three to four years, so I'm worried about how I'll get through tomorrow, and I don't understand why I have to suffer such humiliation." A's parents reported the school violence to the school, but were left frustrated by the school's lukewarm response. The school did not separate A and the perpetrators, instead sending them together on a school trip, and took no significant action even after the trip.

Eventually, A's parents contacted the School Violence Reporting Center and raised the issue with the Office of Education. An official from the Office of Education stated, "We have completed the investigation into the perpetrators, and since there were issues with the school's response, we are considering disciplinary measures." A's parents requested "firm punishment for all the perpetrators and protective measures such as restraining orders."