Incheon Special Education Teacher Death Committee Files Complaint Against Superintendent for Withholding Final Report

On August 12, members of the Incheon Special Education Teacher Death Incident Truth Investigation Committee filed a complaint against Do Seonghun, Superintendent of the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, with the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office, accusing him of dereliction of duty.

During a press conference in front of the investigation office, the committee stated, "After the adoption of the final report, the Truth Investigation Committee resolved to request the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education to release a summary by last month and the full report by this month. However, the Office has yet to disclose even the summary without any notice."

Seven out of the twelve committee members, including co-chair Kim Kiyoon, participated in filing the complaint. The committee consists of seven members recommended by the bereaved family and teachers' organizations, and five members recommended by the Office of Education. The members recommended by the Office did not participate in the complaint.

Kim Kiyoon, co-chair of the Incheon Special Education Teacher Death Incident Truth Investigation Committee, is submitting a complaint against Do Seonghun, Superintendent of Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials on the 12th. Yonhap News / Photo by Truth Investigation Committee

The participating members emphasized, "Special education teachers across the country have been waiting for the truth after the death of their colleague," adding, "Disclosing the report is not a choice but a responsibility." After adopting the final report last month, the committee recommended that Superintendent Do voluntarily resign and that Deputy Superintendent Lee Sangdon be dismissed.

Meanwhile, the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education has recently sought legal advice from a law firm to determine the scope of the report's disclosure. Due to criticism over the Office's insufficient response, there are plans to request a public interest audit from the Board of Audit and Inspection as early as this week to ensure objectivity and fairness in the overall investigation of the incident.

The special education teacher at an elementary school in Incheon died in October last year after being overburdened with work, having been assigned to a special class that exceeded the designated capacity.