Parents of Victims File National Petition: "Kindergarten CCTV Must Be Mandatory"

Parents of Chuncheon Child Abuse Victim Appeal
"No Video Evidence, Only Testimonies"... Request for Limited Access to Audio Recordings in Disputes

In connection with a suspected child abuse case, the parents of the affected child have filed a public petition requesting the establishment of mandatory closed-circuit television (CCTV) installation regulations for public kindergartens.

On December 12, a petition titled "Petition for Mandatory CCTV Installation and Improvement of Management Systems in Public Kindergartens" was made public on the national petition board. The parents of the child involved in last month's suspected child abuse case at a kindergarten in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, wrote, "Until this incident, we firmly believed that most kindergartens had CCTV installed and were operating normally. However, we only learned after the incident that, although there was CCTV installed in the classroom at our child's kindergarten, it was not even functioning."

A public petition has been raised to make the installation of CCTV mandatory in kindergartens.

The parents pointed out that while CCTV installation is mandatory in daycare centers and the installation rate in private kindergartens reaches 95%, public kindergartens have a relatively lower installation rate. They criticized this as "a structural problem that creates a safety gap for children."

They also stated, "At the time of the incident, the only evidence available was the testimony of the victimized child and statements from surrounding children. The affected children are suffering psychological pain and emotional anxiety because they are repeatedly asked to recall the situations they experienced."

They emphasized, "Above all, prevention is most important," and explained, "Mandatory regulations are not about treating teachers as potential criminals but serve as a minimum safety device to confirm objective facts in the event of an incident or accident, thereby protecting both children and teachers." They added, "Mandatory CCTV installation is necessary to guarantee children's right to safety and to provide an environment where teachers can confidently prove their innocence."

The parents requested the following: ▲ Mandatory CCTV installation in all kindergartens, both public and private ▲ Expansion of installation locations to all areas where children and teachers interact, such as classrooms ▲ Institutionalization of regular functionality checks ▲ Introduction of a voice recording feature that can be accessed in a limited manner in the event of disputes or accidents. If the national consent petition reaches 50,000 signatures within 30 days of being made public on the website, it will be referred to the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly.

This photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

At a kindergarten in Chuncheon, on November 13, the day before a school performance, allegations arose that "the homeroom teacher took two children to the teachers' office and kicked them in the stomach because they were not practicing for the performance and were distracted." The police launched an investigation. The parents of the affected children reported the incident to the police the next day and attempted to check the CCTV footage, but there was no network connection to the CCTV in either the teachers' office, where the incident occurred, or in the classroom, so they were unable to review the footage.

Following a child abuse case at a daycare center in Songdo, Incheon, in 2015, the Infant Care Act was revised to make CCTV installation mandatory in daycare centers. However, for kindergartens governed by the Early Childhood Education Act, CCTV installation remains a recommendation rather than a requirement.