National Assembly Education Committee Passes 'Jeong Sunshin Prevention Act'... Debate Over Kim Namguk's Appointment

Cyberbullying Included in School Violence
Legislation Committee Expects Passage in Plenary Session
Ruling Party Criticizes Kim Nam-guk's Transfer from Legislation to Education Committee over Coin Controversy

On the 12th, the ruling and opposition parties processed the 'Partial Amendment to the Act on the Prevention and Countermeasures of School Violence,' which includes legal support for victims when students who commit school violence file administrative lawsuits against disciplinary actions. This bill, known as the 'Jeong Soon-shin Prevention Act,' gained momentum following the school violence incident involving the child of lawyer Jeong Soon-shin, who was appointed but then dismissed as head of the National Investigation Headquarters. Recently, Lee Dong-gwan, a presidential office external cooperation special advisor who was rumored to be appointed as chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, also faced issues related to his son's school violence, leading both ruling and opposition parties to agree on the need for legal and institutional improvements.

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is attending the full meeting of the Education Committee at the National Assembly on the 12th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The National Assembly's Education Committee collectively submitted 36 amendment bills to the Act on the Prevention and Countermeasures of School Violence during a plenary session in the morning and passed an integrated and coordinated alternative.

The amendments include ▲ including cyberbullying as school violence ▲ installation and operation of facilities at the national level for the healing and recovery of victim students ▲ legal support for victims when perpetrators file administrative lawsuits against disciplinary actions ▲ strengthening the principal's emergency authority to separate victim and perpetrator students, among others.

Yoo Ki-hong, chair of the Education Committee, explained, "It includes groundbreaking measures for victim students. The fact that cyberbullying was included in the definition of school violence for the first time holds great significance." He also emphasized the meaning of the amendment by stating, "It also includes direct support for relief measures on information and communication networks for victims of cyberbullying."

Previously, lawyer Jeong Soon-shin was appointed as head of the National Investigation Headquarters in February but was dismissed due to controversy over his son's school violence. Since then, members of the Education Committee from both ruling and opposition parties have proposed and reviewed various bills to prevent and eradicate school violence.

On the day, Kang Min-jung, a Democratic Party lawmaker, said, "It is meaningful that the subcommittee members reviewed and examined more than 30 bills over a very long period." However, she noted that school violence legislation should not be simply 'punishment'-centered but also establish and officially operate curricula and methods for restoring the school community, emphasizing the need for further deliberation. She added, "I hope that (in the future) we continue to think together and create a truly historically significant school violence prevention law."

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, after the bill's passage, said, "I deeply appreciate the review and resolution of the partial amendment to the Act on the Prevention and Countermeasures of School Violence to strictly respond to serious school violence, thoroughly protect victim students, and enhance the response capacity to school violence in schools." He added, "We will make every effort to ensure smooth implementation in the field. I ask for continuous interest so that this bill can also pass smoothly in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the plenary session."

Independent lawmaker Kim Nam-guk is speaking at the Education Committee plenary meeting at the National Assembly on the 12th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Meanwhile, on the same day, the ruling and opposition parties clashed once over the reassignment of independent lawmaker Kim Nam-guk, who was embroiled in controversy over virtual asset trading suspicions, from the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee to the Education Committee. Kim's affiliation changed from the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to the Education Committee as of the 2nd.

Jo Kyung-tae, a People Power Party lawmaker, pointed out, "There should be reflection," and requested a procedural speech, but Yoo Ki-hong, the committee chair, did not accept it.

Kim stated on Facebook that morning, "I am now serving on the National Assembly's Education Committee." He said, "I attended the first Education Committee meeting in June today, greeted senior and fellow lawmakers, and promised the public diligent legislative activities." He added, "As an education committee member, I will actively communicate with students, teachers, parents, and related organizations in the education field." He further stated, "I will become a lawmaker who fiercely thinks and discusses for the development of education in the Republic of Korea."

Kim, who was reported to the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee over suspicions of holding and trading virtual assets, is scheduled to appear before the Ethics Committee advisory panel on the 16th.

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