[Exclusive] Controversy Over Promoting Homosexuality and Political Neutrality Violation... Intense Parent Protests Against a Teacher at a Jinhae Middle School

A PPT screen used by an English teacher at a certain middle school in Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam during class. [Image source= Bareungachi Suho Gyeongnam Domin Yeonhap]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] An English teacher at a middle school in Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, has been embroiled in controversy for allegedly promoting homosexuality and failing to maintain political neutrality during class.

On the 21st, the Barun Value Protection Gyeongnam Residents' Union and others claimed that the teacher recommended a certain drama to third-year students on the 20th to study for an English exam and provided related PowerPoint (ppt) materials.

The ppt secured by the group features English passages set against a background scene from the drama showing two women lying down and talking.

The teacher cited lines such as "I wish I could just marry you" from the drama "Dickinson," which reinterprets the life of poet Emily Dickinson, to teach conditional sentences.

This drama, which has aired up to season 3, includes scenes where Emily Dickinson and her sister-in-law Susan Gilbert Dickinson bathe together or share a kiss.

Parents protested, saying, "We don't understand why they are told to watch a drama during exam period, and why a drama depicting homosexuality was specifically recommended and used as supplementary material. There are many other dramas, and as a teacher, they could have easily created example sentences. We suspect there is an intention to promote youth homosexuality."

They also said, "Children who have not even lived twenty years are influenced by various media in forming their sexual values, so is the school, which should provide balance, teaching to glamorize homosexuality?"

The school confirmed the matter and held an emergency meeting, and the Gyeongnam Office of Education announced that it began investigating the staff from 4 p.m. that day.

An official from the provincial education office stated, "The ppt materials and sentences obtained from the school do not depict homosexuality or describe sexual acts," adding, "The investigation of the teacher and students revealed that the drama was not screened in the classroom, nor were materials capturing same-sex kissing or sexual scenes provided."

He continued, "Since this could potentially be a child abuse issue, we are examining it carefully and thoroughly," and added, "Among the protest calls, there was a claim that the teacher said they would give volunteer points to students who participated in a rally to impeach President Yoon Seok-yeol, so an investigation into the teacher's violation of political neutrality is also underway."

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