Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
Justice minister calls for better protection of teachers' rights
Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon speaks during a Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, Aug. 21. Yonhap
By Jung Da-hyun
By Jung Da-hyun
Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon instructed prosecutors, Friday, to ensure that teachers' rights are sufficiently guaranteed in cases involving the disciplining of students.
This move comes after five teachers took their own lives in less than two months. On Thursday, a teacher in her 40s died in Daejeon in an apparent suicide after reportedly suffering from complaints filed by parents.
The minister emphasized that if it becomes evident that a complaint or accusation linked to a teacher's interactions with students does not constitute a criminal offense, it should be expeditiously dismissed.
Furthermore, prosecutors have been urged to exercise careful judgment, taking into account various factors such as the context, timing and location of the disciplinary measures carried out by teachers, as well as the necessity and specific details of the punishment.
Additionally, they should consider the impact of the disciplinary measure on the student, considering factors like age, gender and developmental stage.
“These measures should fully reflect the distinctive nature of schools and the critical role of teachers,” Han said.
“It is necessary to improve the legal framework surrounding child abuse to ensure that educators can make professional judgments without fear and receive the respect they deserve,” he added.
In addition to these directives, the justice minister also called upon the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to minimize the unnecessary summoning of teachers for investigations and actively promote non-face-to-face and written methods of inquiry.
The Ministry of Justice has established a collaborative task force with relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Education, to enhance law enforcement efforts, particularly in child abuse investigations, and develop measures aimed at ensuring that teachers' rights and duties are adequately protected.
Participants hold a candlelight vigil at Seoul National University of Education to mourn the death of a young teacher of Seoul Seo2 Elementary School in southern Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
The latest teacher who committed suicide had been grappling with malicious complaints related to child abuse and other issues, and received psychiatric treatment for a long period, according to a local teachers' union.
The teacher's mental health had been further strained by the recent suicide of another elementary school teacher at Seoul Seo2 Elementary School in July, according to the union.
In 2019, she was involved in a child abuse case but was acquitted of the charge in 2020.