Superintendent Doseong Hoon of Incheon to Focus Administrative Efforts on Recognizing Special Education Teacher's Work-Related Death

The Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education has decided to dedicate its administrative resources to ensure that the death of a special education teacher, who passed away last year after suffering from excessive workload, is recognized as a work-related death.

Doseong Hoon, Superintendent of the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, stated at the monthly public meeting held on the 25th, "We will focus our administrative efforts on ensuring that the special education teacher's death, for which an application was submitted in June, is recognized as a work-related death." He added, "I will submit a petition as superintendent and actively seek cooperation from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Personnel Management."

He continued, "In the future, I will visit the National Assembly to request cooperation for the recognition process, and I will also propose measures to improve the conditions for special education." He added, "We will strengthen support for special education in schools and thoroughly monitor the implementation of related measures."

In June, the Office of Education submitted a claim for survivors' benefits for work-related death to the Government Employees Pension Service. The Ministry of Personnel Management will make the final determination after review by the Public Officials' Accident Compensation Review Committee.

Doseong Hoon, Superintendent of Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education

Teacher A, a special education teacher at an elementary school in Incheon, died in October last year after being overwhelmed by excessive work, having been assigned to a special class that exceeded the legal capacity. Recently, the Special Education Teacher Death Investigation Committee concluded that there was a causal relationship between Teacher A's death and the excessive performance of official duties.

The investigation committee determined that Teacher A was the only special education teacher responsible for a severely overcrowded class with students with severe disabilities, and likely suffered from an excessive teaching load and administrative work. The committee also concluded that the lack of practical support from the educational authorities, such as expanding classes and assigning additional teachers, contributed to the deterioration of the teacher's physical health and increased psychological stress, ultimately leading to the teacher's death.