Lee Dong-gwan "Apologies for School Violence Controversy... Cannot Stay Silent on 'Kadera' Exposures" (Summary)

First Statement After School Violence Controversy Rekindled
This Special Reporter "Distortion and Exaggeration Through Media and SNS"
Point-by-Point Rebuttal of School Violence Details and Cover-Up Allegations

Lee Dong-gwan, the Special Advisor for External Cooperation at the Presidential Office, who has been embroiled in controversy over 'child school violence,' issued his first statement on the 8th, saying, "Regardless of the facts, I deeply apologize for the school violence controversy involving my child during high school." The advisor particularly labeled the allegations about his child's school violence, mainly coming from the opposition, as 'hearsay-style revelations' and expressed concern that these are causing mental and actual harm to the victims, urging the cessation of fake news production.

On the same day, the Presidential Office conveyed Lee's 'position on the school violence controversy' through a notice to the press corps in the afternoon. Lee apologized for the school violence controversy involving his child during high school and explained, "Since I was not even nominated as a public office candidate, responding to various suspicions about me is neither proper nor right toward the appointing authority, so I have refrained from official responses until now."

He continued, "However, recently, even the opposition party leader has indiscriminately continued 'hearsay-style' revelations, which have been distorted and exaggerated, spreading through the media and social media. I judged that I could no longer remain silent," adding, "Putting aside myself and my family, what worries me most is that this is causing mental and actual harm to the related students who are sincerely living as members of society."

Addressing the political circles and the media, he said, "To correct at least the facts, I am issuing this statement and ask the political circles to stop irresponsible revelations and fake news production for political strife," and "I also request journalists to provide balanced reporting based on factual information."

Former Senior Secretary Dong-gwan Lee / Photo by Yonhap News

Lee attached a detailed rebuttal below his statement regarding the recent allegations. First, concerning claims that his son hit student A's head against a desk 300 times, scattered clipped fingernails on the bed, or ordered a fight with a friend in the dormitory hallway, he stated, "It is true that there was a physical altercation between the parties in the first year of high school in 2011, but it was not a one-sided act of violence."

He added, "The school violence behaviors circulating on the internet are unilateral claims far from the truth," and "At that time, an 'apology and reconciliation' had already been made between the parties in the first year." He further noted, "A said to surrounding friends and reporters that the facts were exaggerated and that he did not consider it school violence even then."

He also mentioned that it was testified in an interview with the homeroom teacher of Hanago High School at the time that A appealed to the homeroom teacher and principal not to punish or transfer his son. Lee said, "(The two) remain close friends who keep in touch even after graduating from high school," adding, "This situation would be impossible if A were truly a victim of school violence."

Regarding cases reported by some media as serious school violence based on 'statements,' he claimed, "The evidence is weak, and the claims do not match the facts," and "The statements are copies without signatures or dates and are not official statements from the student council, so they have no validity." Lee also said that A consistently testified that "the counseling teacher told me to write down everything she knew, including rumors circulating in the school, which is not true."

Regarding the background of his son's transfer during the semester by the decision of the school disciplinary committee, he stated, "The parties reconciled and did not wish for punishment, so it was a minor disciplinary case corresponding to No. 2 (prohibition of contact and retaliation) and No. 3 (school service) among the nine levels of discipline," and "However, multiple school violence specialist lawyers believe it was treated as a 'test case' and received a severe disciplinary action." He added, "Considering the potential disadvantages and my child's future, we could have delayed the disciplinary process by appealing the committee's decision or taking legal action, but as a former high-ranking public official, I thought it appropriate to take a humble stance and unconditionally accept the committee's decision."

Regarding allegations that he pressured the school violence countermeasure committee (School Violence Committee) not to convene, he rebutted, "The school disciplinary committee delegated the decision to the homeroom teacher, who judged and ordered the transfer of my child," and "According to the 'Basic Guidelines for Responding to School Violence Cases (Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, March 16, 2012),' if the perpetrator immediately admits wrongdoing and requests reconciliation with the victim, and the victim agrees, the homeroom teacher can resolve the matter internally." He also said that the vice principal of Hanago High School at the time was reported to the prosecution for obstruction of business but was cleared without indictment in 2016.

Regarding allegations that he pressured Kim Seung-yu, chairman of Hanago High School, during a phone call, he said, "It was to inquire to understand the situation accurately," and "It was not to ask for any favors but to urgently grasp the facts from the chairman responsible for the school." Lee added that Kim was the only Hanago official he knew personally since his reporter days. He claimed, "I received a response from Chairman Kim that he would check the situation through the principal, but there were no further calls afterward."

Regarding the 2019 MBC 'Straight' broadcast reporting the school violence controversy, he rebutted, "It was a representative malicious fake news that uncritically aired the one-sided and distorted claims of teacher Jeon Kyung-won, who raised school corruption allegations to avoid punishment." Lee also added that A directly called the reporter at the time to protest, saying, "I did not consider it school violence then or now." He criticized, "It was a reckless act to broadcast the so-called 'statements' with unclear substance on public broadcasting without any consent process, and it was an opportunity to realize the urgent need to improve the broadcasting industry's self-purification capability."

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