Seoul Office of Education to Fully Implement 'Seven-Step On-Site Response' for Student Athlete Injuries

Announcement of the "2026 Seoul School Sports Team Operation Plan" on March 3

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has decided to fully implement the "Seven-Step On-Site Response Manual" to ensure swift response to student athletes' injuries and other incidents that occur during training or competitions.

On March 3, the Office of Education announced the "2026 Seoul School Sports Team Operation Plan," which includes these measures.

This plan focuses on institutionalizing a "safety response system" to minimize confusion at the scene in the event of injuries during training or competitions, and to enable a prompt and standardized response. The "Seven-Step On-Site Response Manual," which can be implemented immediately at schools, will be applied. Additionally, a new mandatory reporting system for serious accidents has been established to ensure support from the education office and prevent recurrence.

The most significant change is the application of "quasi-response procedures" for student athlete injuries. When an injury occurs during training or competitions, to prevent confusion and ensure a rapid response, all school sports teams will apply the Seven-Step On-Site Response Manual as a common standard: suspend activity, assess the situation, provide first aid, contact relevant parties, transfer the injured, record the incident, and report/notify.

In addition, a new mandatory "serious injury (major injury) reporting system" has been established. If a major incident occurs-such as long-term hospitalization requiring more than three weeks of treatment, or bone fractures and ligament tears requiring surgery-the school must report to the relevant district office of education within 48 hours of the incident. This system enables the education office to promptly identify the damage, provide administrative and financial support, and prevent similar incidents from recurring. Furthermore, even for annual off-site training locations, schools will be required to conduct mandatory pre-visits to thoroughly check the safety conditions of accommodations and training sites in advance.

The Office of Education believes that for the safety response system to function effectively on-site, a training culture free from violence and misconduct must be established. Accordingly, disciplinary actions in accordance with relevant laws will be strictly applied to student athletes who perpetrate school violence, and, if necessary, restrictions on tournament participation and athlete registration will be imposed to foster a violence-free sports team culture. Misconduct by sports team coaches will not be allowed to be resolved solely within the school; reporting to the education office will be mandatory. Additionally, disciplinary standards will be strengthened, and a zero-tolerance policy will be implemented regarding negligence and misconduct.

Superintendent Chung Geunsik stated, "With the new safety reporting system and strengthened regulations, we will establish a safe and transparent school sports team system that parents can trust and rely on."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.