"Get 100,000 Won if You Adopt" Teacher Posted on Danggeun Market…Korea Teachers' Union Says "Not a Matter to Take Lightly"

Kyotong "Education Reality is Regrettable... Requesting Measures to Protect Teachers' Rights"

A post titled 'Teacher Adoption' on the online secondhand trading site 'Danggeun Market'. Photo by Online Community Capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A post claiming to "sell teachers" has been uploaded on the online secondhand trading site 'Danggeun Market,' sparking controversy. Teacher organizations stated, "This is not something to be dismissed as a one-time prank by young students," and called for measures to protect teachers' rights.

Recently, a post claiming to sell teachers along with a photo was uploaded on Danggeun Market. The photo showed a teacher conducting an online class. The author wrote, "If you adopt, you will receive 100,000 won. This is serious, so if you make jokes like Jammin-i (a derogatory term for elementary school students), you will be reported."

Netizens criticized the post, saying, "Isn't this an infringement on teachers' rights? There is no respect for teachers," "An era where teachers' rights are at rock bottom," and "It should not be overlooked just because they are young. Strong punishment is needed to prevent this from happening again."

In response, the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) issued a statement, pointing out, "It is deplorable that the image and name of a teacher conducting remote classes are spread online without any restrictions or filtering and are ridiculed as objects for sale in the education reality."

They added, "Unauthorized distribution or misuse of personal photos and information is clearly a criminal act, and effective preventive and protective measures for teachers' rights must be established."

The KFTA also emphasized, "Cyber infringements on teachers' rights during remote classes are more serious because they expand and reproduce without the affected teachers' knowledge," and urged, "The Ministry of Education and other educational authorities should not leave this solely to the affected teachers or schools but must take strong actions such as filing complaints regarding violations of teachers' portrait and personal rights."

Meanwhile, the Danggeun Market user who posted the teacher sale post is currently suspended due to policy violations.

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