49th Memorial for Deceased Seoicho Teacher... Teachers Who Ignored Ministry of Education and Principal's Warnings and Did Not Attend Work Hold 'Tribute Procession'

Many Teachers Hold 'Indirect Strike' to Commemorate
Morning Memorial at Seoi Elementary, Afternoon Rally in Front of National Assembly
Ministry of Education: "No Change in Disciplinary Principles"

On July 4th, the 49th-day memorial for a teacher from Seoul Seoi Elementary School who passed away on July 18th, elementary school teachers nationwide staged a 'circumvention strike' by taking sick leave or annual leave and not going to work.

Earlier, the Ministry of Education warned that not working on this day could result in severe disciplinary actions such as dismissal, and on the 4th stated, "We will review the use of sick leave afterward to check for violations of the Public Officials Act and handle the matter according to regulations." Accordingly, friction between the teachers who did not go to work that day and the Ministry of Education is expected.

A 29-year-old elementary school teacher in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, who took sick leave and did not go to work that morning, said, "I plan to stay home using personal sick leave as a tribute," adding, "Originally, the school planned to have a discretionary holiday but then canceled it." Some secondary school teachers also joined the circumvention strike. A 30-year-old middle school teacher working in Seoul said, "I went to work normally in the morning but plan to leave early in the afternoon to attend a memorial rally."

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education urgently dispatched about 300 personnel from the headquarters and affiliated institutions and about 550 personnel from 11 education support offices to schools under Seoul's jurisdiction that morning. The dispatched staff supported learning guidance and life guidance.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the regular briefing that morning, the Ministry of Education stated, "We are not immediately checking the number of annual and sick leave used by teachers," and added, "Today, we are focusing more on ensuring students' right to learn and providing concentrated support." The day before, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho appealed for participation in school classes, saying, "Please protect the school beside our students." Regarding disciplining teachers and schools for taking annual leave, the Ministry explained, "Teachers' voices continue to emerge, and the number participating over the weekend is increasing, but that does not mean the Ministry of Education's principles have changed," adding, "You can refer to the disciplinary regulation table."

Meanwhile, at 9 a.m. that day, a memorial space for the 49th-day memorial of the deceased teacher was set up in the multipurpose room of Seoi Elementary School in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to receive general mourners. Many teachers and parents visited Seoi Elementary School. A 56-year-old elementary school teacher from Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, who visited the memorial space that morning, said, "I applied for annual leave today for personal reasons three days ago, but it was rejected, so I did not go to school and came here instead," adding, "I asked a fellow teacher to cover my 1st and 2nd period classes, and after the memorial, I plan to go to school and teach from the 3rd period."

On the 4th, citizens continued to visit the memorial space set up at Seoi Elementary School in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Choi Taewon]

Recently, with incidents of elementary school teachers in Seoul and Jeonbuk taking their own lives, collective actions by teachers are expected to intensify. About 200,000 people (according to organizers) participated in a rally held in front of the National Assembly on the 2nd. The Ministry of Education anticipated that many teachers would attend the Seoi Elementary School 49th-day memorial ceremony hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and Seoi Elementary School and the rally in front of the National Assembly scheduled for the afternoon of the 4th.

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