Elementary school teacher assaulted by student, later accused of child abuse by parent

Exterior view of the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education / Korea Times file

An elementary school teacher in Busan was reportedly assaulted by a student during school hours, only to then face a child abuse accusation filed by the student’s parent.

According to the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education and the Busan Teachers' Union on Wednesday, the incident occurred on April 28 at an elementary school in Seo District. A male student, referred to as "A," struck teacher "B" in the face and head.

The incident began during lunch when teacher B, the homeroom teacher of a nearby class, attempted to intervene in a fight between student A and another student. When the teacher instructed both students to apologize, A refused and returned to his classroom.

B followed him to provide further guidance, but A reportedly became aggressive — throwing a pencil case and punching the teacher multiple times in the face and head. He also pushed the teacher to the floor and pulled the teacher’s hair. The situation was brought under control after other teachers intervened.

B sustained bruises to the face, hands, and arms, as well as a head injury. A medical report indicated a two-week recovery period. The teacher took sick leave but returned to school on May 2.

When B later sought to convene a school disciplinary committee to address the assault, A’s parents filed a child abuse complaint against the teacher.

Police received the report on May 7 and have launched an investigation. The teacher told authorities that any physical contact was an act of self-defense to stop the ongoing assault.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.