Bo-eun leads the digital content team. She has covered foreign affairs, North Korea, tech, economy and gender issues at The Korea Times. She did a short stint at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where she obtained a new perspective on news production and life. Small sources of joy for her are lounging in the sun, having a good latte and swimming.
Teachers lack respect, survey finds
Students bow to their teacher in gratitude upon graduation at a high school in Seoul . / Korea Times file
By Kim Bo-eun
Most Koreans believe teachers are not respected.
Gallup Korea surveyed 15,000 adults last month and 83 percent said teachers were not respected.
Only 9 percent said "teachers are respected," while 8 percent declined to comment.
Korea Gallup attributed the lack of respect to the overly competitive Korean education system, which is focused on college entrance. The system has boosted private education at the expense of public education.
But 76 percent of people said a teacher came to mind when they thought of Teacher's Day, although only 22 percent said they had visited or made a call to their teacher.
Among the age groups, 39 percent in their 20s called, as did 24 percent in their 30s, 17 percent in their 40s, 21 percent in their 50s and 12 percent in their 60s.