Teacher found dead at Jeju middle school after repeated complaints from student's family

Jeju Provincial Police Agency headquarters / Courtesy of police

A middle school teacher in Jeju Island was found dead on the school campus early Thursday after allegedly facing sustained pressure and complaints from the family of a student, prompting investigations by both the police and education authorities.

According to Jeju police and the Jeju Provincial Office of Education, the body of a teacher in his 40s was discovered at around 12:46 a.m. inside a school building. The teacher had worked at the school for more than 20 years.

The search began after his wife found a suicide note in the school’s faculty office and reported him missing. Police officers located his body during a search of the school grounds.

Authorities believe the teacher had been under significant stress due to ongoing complaints from the family of a student in his homeroom class.

He had provided guidance to the student, who was frequently absent from school, but the student’s family filed multiple grievances with the school and the provincial education office.

The family also directly contacted the teacher on his personal phone, repeatedly questioning his conduct and accusing him of verbal abuse, according to school officials.

Police are investigating the cause of death, while the provincial education office has launched its own inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the case.

The news has sparked outrage and sorrow in the education community, with multiple teacher groups issuing statements calling for a thorough investigation.

"The details of the educational conflict and psychological burden surrounding the deceased must be uncovered," the Jeju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union said in a statement.

The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations and the Jeju Federation of Teachers’ Associations also condemned the incident "It is heartbreaking and devastating to hear such tragic news less than a week after Teachers' Day," they said.

They called on both education and law enforcement authorities to conduct a full investigation and take appropriate action.

Jeju Education Superintendent Kim Kwang-soo said in a statement that the office will do everything it can to prevent such a tragedy from happening again in the classroom.

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