"Never Reappoint to the Faculty," "Severe Punishment Needed"... Dismissal of 'Cheonan Ship Insult' Teacher Petitioned to Blue House

"Cheonanham as a Title?", "Should Have Been Exiled"... Controversy Over Abusive Teacher Remarks
Former Captain Choi Won-il Sues Teacher

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Amid controversy over Mr. A, a teacher at Whimun High School in Seoul, who used vulgar language and abusive remarks toward former Cheonan Warship Captain (Retired Colonel) Choi Won-il, there have been consecutive national petitions calling for the dismissal of the teacher.

On the 14th, a petition titled "Request to revoke the teaching license of Whimun High School teacher A" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. As of 7:30 a.m. on the 15th, the petition had received over 11,210 signatures.

The petitioner, who identified herself as a mother of a high school student, stated, "I petition for the dismissal of Whimun High School teacher A, who used obscene language toward former Captain Choi on SNS," adding, "This person should not only be dismissed from Whimun High School but should never be allowed to teach again."

She continued, "It is not a problem for a teacher to post political opinions on their personal SNS," but criticized, "The fact that someone with such a mouth is teaching students who are in their prime studying and playing is chilling, frightening, and a path to national ruin."

A teacher A from Huimun High School in Gangnam-gu, Seoul posted on their SNS. Photo by Facebook capture.

Meanwhile, another petition demanding strict punishment for Mr. A was also posted. The petitioner, who stated they are attending a high school in the same area as Whimun High School, criticized, "A public servant who receives money earned by the hard work of the people every month, especially a teacher who teaches children like me and who should maintain political neutrality more than anyone else, insulted the national military who died protecting the country on SNS, which other students could see, just to relieve stress. As someone receiving the same education, I am truly angry."

They added, "Both the Cheonan Warship incident and the Sewol Ferry disaster are heartbreaking tragedies for South Korea, yet the way this teacher weighs them against each other is disgusting," and said, "It is sad and chilling that such a teacher, or teachers like this, are at a school not far from here."

Furthermore, they emphasized, "For the sake of the education that immature students like us receive, I urge the dismissal and strict punishment of the teacher in question."

Former Cheonanham Captain Choi Won-il is seen with reddened eyes while listening to the remarks of Jeon Jun-young, president of the Cheonanham Survivors Reserve Veterans Association, during a meeting between Cheonanham bereaved families and surviving soldiers held on the 11th at the People Power Party Yeouido Research Institute in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 11th, Mr. A posted on his Facebook, "If you say the Cheonan Warship was sunk by a torpedo, that captain who should have been dismissed and exiled is running his mouth somewhere, damn it," and "What kind of honor is the Cheonan Warship? The Cheonan Warship is not the Sewol Ferry, damn it. You are a soldier! You deserve to be cursed, damn it," among other remarks.

After the controversy arose, Mr. A deleted the problematic post and posted two apologies, stating, "It was entirely my fault to express my brief thoughts about a person who served as a soldier for a long time in a national public role with excessively harsh curses and criticism."

The school also announced that it would replace the homeroom teacher of the first-year class Mr. A was in charge of as the controversy grew. The school stated, "We will ensure that all teachers are cautious in their language use not only in classes but in all areas and maintain political neutrality."

Meanwhile, former Captain Choi visited the National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters on the same day and filed a complaint against Mr. A for defamation and insult.

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