"Please Investigate Our Daughter's Death"…Father Breaks Down in Tears at Teacher Authority Restoration Announcement Ceremony

Crying Out Loud During Press Conference on Seoicho Teacher Incident
"Private Contract Teacher... Please Investigate"

"Wait a moment! My daughter, my daughter also died the same way. Please investigate together."

On the 24th, during an emergency joint press conference held by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education along with three teacher organizations?the Seoul Federation of Teachers' Associations, the Seoul Teachers' Labor Union Federation, and the Seoul branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union?aimed at "Protecting Teachers' Educational Activities," a man's voice filled with anguish was heard from behind the conference hall.

As the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and teachers' organizations were about to begin a Q&A session with the press following their announcements, a man shouted, "Wait a moment," stood up, and sobbed, saying, "My daughter died the same way." The man said his daughter was a contract teacher at a private school who recently experienced the controversial issue of teacher rights violations and passed away six months ago.
[Photo by YTN]

The press conference was held to announce measures to restore teachers' authority in relation to the case of a teacher in their 20s at Seo-i Elementary School in Seocho-gu, Seoul, who had taken an extreme step.

Just as the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the teacher organizations were about to start a Q&A session with the media following their announcements, a man shouted, "Wait a moment," stood up from his seat, and sobbed, "My daughter died the same way."

The man said his daughter was a contract teacher at a private school who had recently experienced issues related to the controversial infringement of teachers' rights and had passed away six months ago.

Wiping tears repeatedly with a handkerchief, he continued, "I cried a lot yesterday at Seo-i Elementary School. While the teachers at Seo-i Elementary receive condolence wreaths, my daughter died without even receiving a single flower. My daughter was the same kind of teacher, the same kind of student in the Republic of Korea." He requested the joint investigation team to include his daughter's death in their investigation.

Elementary school teachers, including members of the National Elementary School Teachers' Union, are shedding tears while listening to a memorial speech for a colleague at a memorial press conference held in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the afternoon of the 20th, following the extreme choice made by a new teacher at I Elementary School.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

His accompanying family also lamented, "My younger sibling experienced the same situation as the Seo-i Elementary School case," adding, "Since we are a private school, it is difficult for us to receive help unlike public schools."

In response, Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, acknowledged, "It is true that there are issues regarding teachers' rights and human rights in private schools," and said, "We will review and address this."

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Begins Assessing Status of Ministry of Education and Educational Activity Infringements

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, is speaking at an emergency joint press conference between the Office of Education and three teacher organizations held on the afternoon of the 24th at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Superintendent Cho stated regarding the government's position that the Student Human Rights Ordinance conflicts with the protection of teachers' rights, "We firmly oppose the abolition of the Student Human Rights Ordinance," but also said, "We are actively considering adding provisions that include students' responsibilities alongside their rights." He also mentioned that the case of the teacher found deceased at Seo-i Elementary School in Seocho-gu, Seoul, is being reviewed for application as a work-related injury.

Following this, Superintendent Cho, along with Chairman Park Geun-byeong, Senior Vice President Seok Seung-ha of the Seoul Federation of Teachers' Associations, and Kim Seong-bo, head of the Seoul branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, announced "urgent tasks" to protect educational activities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated that it will first present guidelines specifying the scope of legitimate educational activities for teachers through consultations with the Ministry of Education and will begin assessing the current status of infringements on teachers' educational activities.

The Office of Education also said, "Through consultations with relevant departments, we will devise solutions to infringements on educational activities, expand guarantees for the Teacher Safety Mutual Aid Service, and continuously consult with teacher organizations to establish measures to protect legitimate educational activities."

Regarding the Seo-i Elementary School case, they plan to prepare group counseling and psychological and emotional recovery support measures for staff and students suffering from trauma, and provide legal advice, litigation support, and healing assistance so that the teacher who was assaulted at an elementary school in Yangcheon-gu can return to the classroom quickly.

In relation to a new teacher at Seoi Elementary School who made an extreme choice, members of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions held a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the afternoon of the 20th, urging a prompt investigation and improvements in laws and systems for proper educational activities where teachers' rights are respected.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Finally, the Office of Education emphasized the need for the passage of amendments to the "Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes, etc.," which can protect teachers in child abuse reports, and the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act," which includes teachers' immunity rights regarding child abuse reports.

They also called for amendments to the "Special Act on the Improvement of Teachers' Status and Protection of Educational Activities" to allow separation of students and teachers involved in educational activity infringements and requested that the obligation to take measures against perpetrators of educational activity infringements be explicitly stated in related laws and regulations.

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