Gyeonggi Office of Education to Take Legal Action Against Teacher Who Sued Over Student Injured During Ssireum Class

Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education has decided to respond to a criminal complaint filed by the parent of a student injured during a Ssireum class at an elementary school against the teacher.

According to the Office of Education on the 24th, recently at an elementary school in the district, teacher A was conducting a Ssireum class when a student injured their clavicle. Subsequently, the injured student's parent demanded compensation for emotional distress from teacher A, and when teacher A did not accept this, they filed a criminal complaint for negligence causing injury. Teacher A is in their second year and about to enlist in the military; due to the stress from this incident, they took sick leave.

Gyeonggi Superintendent of Education Lim Tae-hee stated regarding this matter, "The class was a very normal educational activity," adding, "If a student is injured during class, the Safety Mutual Aid Association should handle treatment costs and liability insurance, but demanding more than that from the teacher leaves us no choice but to form a legal advisory group to respond."

Earlier, on the 16th, the Office of Education announced a comprehensive plan to strengthen respect for teachers' rights and protection of educational activities, which includes establishing a parent consultation and civil complaint response system, stepwise separated education to protect students' right to learn, and enhanced support for less experienced teachers.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Lim Tae-hee repeatedly urged restraint regarding collective actions planned by some teachers to protect teachers' rights.

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