Younggon Kim, Former Deputy Minister of Education, Proposes Establishment of "Legal Response Task Force" at Gyeongnam Office of Education

"Protecting the Return of One Teacher
Means Safeguarding Education in Gyeongnam"

Younggon Kim, former Deputy Minister of Education, highlighted the reality faced by teachers who fear returning to the classroom due to violations of teachers' rights, and stated that a lawyer-led "Legal Response Task Force" should be established within the Gyeongnam Office of Education.

Younggon Kim, Former Deputy Minister of Education.

On January 21, through his social media account, Kim introduced a recent case in which a female teacher, currently on leave due to severe anxiety after repeated violations of her rights during class, reached out to him for help. He stated, "This is not an issue of an individual teacher, but a warning that the educational system has lost its protective function."

The teacher reportedly told Kim, "I want to stand in front of the children again, but I am afraid the same thing will happen."

Regarding this, Kim pointed out, "In a system where a teacher who has suffered a violation of their rights has to handle everything alone, from collecting evidence to reporting and responding, no one can feel safe returning to the classroom. The moment a teacher leaves the classroom, the children in that classroom also lose their protection."

He continued, "In a classroom where the teacher has been undermined, normal education cannot take place," emphasizing that the issue of teachers' rights should be addressed not as an after-the-fact matter but as an educational safety issue requiring immediate intervention.

Kim presented the following as specific institutional improvement measures:

◆ Establishment of a "Legal Response Task Force" within the Gyeongnam Office of Education.

He proposed creating a permanent organization of 15 lawyers within the education office, so that legal assessment, on-site response, and follow-up measures can all be carried out immediately when a violation of teachers' rights occurs. The intention is to ensure that teachers no longer have to make judgments and respond on their own.

◆ Building an on-site intervention system for immediate response.

This task force would not be a body that acts only after an incident escalates, but would be structured to intervene from the very moment a problem arises, playing a role in preventing conflicts from escalating into bigger clashes.

Kim explained, "This system is not a policy just for teachers. Teachers' safety leads to classroom stability, and stable classrooms ensure both students' right to learn and their human rights."

He added, "An immediate response system serves as an educational safety net that stops conflicts before students are exposed to even more dangerous situations."

Kim stressed, "Even at this moment, there are teachers hesitating to return to the classroom for the same reasons. Teachers' rights cannot be protected by declarations. They must be protected by a system that operates immediately."

He further stated, "Protecting the return of one teacher means protecting education in Gyeongnam. I will ensure an educational administration where teachers can teach with trust, not fear."