Myungno Lee of Gwangju City Council: "Education Authorities Neglecting Student Corporal Punishment"

Interpellation Session...
Criticism of the City Office of Education's "Inadequate Response"

Myungno Lee, Gwangju City Councilor.

On July 17, during the 334th Gwangju City Council special session, Myungno Lee, a councilor representing Seo-gu District 3, strongly criticized the state of corporal punishment among high school students in Gwangju over the past three years and the inadequate response system of the Office of Education.

During the session, Councilor Lee stated, "According to data submitted by the Gwangju Office of Education, only one case of corporal punishment was reported in the past three years. However, in reality, there were six cases at just one school alone." He pointed out that, "Despite the occurrence of various incidents, including verbal abuse, physical assault, and coercion to submit petitions, the Office of Education has neglected its responsibility and has not even conducted regular investigations."

In particular, Councilor Lee referenced a teacher assault case at K High School in Buk-gu, which was reported in November last year. He said, "The teacher struck a student's head and kicked their shin. The police investigation confirmed the charges, and the case was forwarded to the prosecution. The teacher also admitted to the actions. Nevertheless, the Office of Education avoided conducting its own investigation, citing the ongoing police investigation as the reason." He further criticized, "Even in this case, the Office of Education made no factual determination, and the school instead demanded petitions from the victimized students."

He continued, "Because the incident occurred at a private school, even the request for disciplinary action was not implemented, and the Office of Education remained inactive." He emphasized, "The protection of student rights must be guaranteed regardless of the type of school, and the Office of Education must fulfill its responsibility for oversight and supervision."

In response, Superintendent Jeongseon Lee replied, "We will seek ways to ensure that private schools can comply with these policies."

Meanwhile, Councilor Lee also stated, "Corporal punishment, forced religious activities, and compulsory self-study are still taking place in educational settings," and urged, "It is urgent to establish measures that balance student rights and teacher authority."