[Report] 50,000 Teachers Gathered in Front of the National Assembly... "Sorry We Couldn't Protect You"

Sei Elementary School Teachers' 49th Memorial Rally
"Demand for Resolution of Teacher Rights Protection Agreement"
Various Groups Including Elementary School Teachers Gather

"If the current system does not change, second and third Seoicho teachers can appear at any time. Until the problem is solved, we are all Seoicho teachers."

A teacher shouted this on top of a bus at the 'Seoicho Teacher 49th Day Memorial Rally' held in front of the National Assembly on the 4th. On the 49th day since the death of a teacher at Seoicho Elementary School in Seoul, the area in front of the National Assembly was filled with people wearing black clothes and black masks that afternoon. They attended the memorial rally for the teacher in their 20s who took an extreme choice at Seoicho Elementary School in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on July 18.

On the 4th, participants are holding placards and chanting slogans at the 'Seoi Elementary School Teacher 49th Memorial Rally' held in front of the National Assembly building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Park Joon-yi]

Despite being a weekday rally, the organizers estimated that 50,000 people gathered in front of the National Assembly that day. Earlier, the Ministry of Education had advised refraining from participating in the rally, but a considerable crowd still gathered. Participants sat in order in front of the podium set up facing the National Assembly, holding placards with slogans such as "Fact-finding is memorial" and "Pass the agreement on protecting teachers' rights," shouting slogans. The protesters maintained orderly behavior from the start to the end of the rally.

It was not limited to elementary school teachers. Teachers from middle and high schools, kindergarten teachers, and others who experienced various problems in the education field added their voices. A public kindergarten teacher went up to the podium and said, "I was told by a young child’s parent, 'Are you even a teacher? If you have a conscience, quit,'" and confessed, "I even thought about dying. I was also pushed into an extreme situation." She continued, tearfully, "A definite memorial for the deceased is fact-finding," and "We must reveal the truth to send the teacher off peacefully."

Another elementary school teacher said, "Six years ago, a parent broke into the classroom, sent the children out, and cursed, saying, 'The kids are like this because the homeroom teacher is crazy,'" and added, "The school’s teacher rights protection committee recommended mutual reconciliation." He continued, "I requested a retrial, but the provincial education office dismissed it, saying that the parent's continuous complaints could not be considered a violation of teacher rights," and appealed, "I already knew. Neither fellow teachers, administrators, nor the education office would protect us."

A high school teacher also shared, "There were four complaints related to student evaluations in a year," and "Parents filed complaints about their child's wrong answers or until multiple answers were accepted." He said, "(Seoicho) teacher, I’m sorry. I thought I just had to endure it," and "I’m really sorry for not being able to protect you."

On the 4th, participants are observing a 94-second moment of silence at the 'Seoi Elementary School Teacher 49th Memorial Rally' held in front of the National Assembly building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Park Joon-yi]

Teachers criticized not only the issues related to the deceased teacher but also the government's response after the incident. A host wearing a black mask went up to the podium and shouted slogans demanding punishment for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, who issued an appeal the day before, saying, "When he appeared late in the dialogue on protecting teacher rights and read an appeal asking to protect schools, his intention was obvious and shameful."

Teachers attending the rally also criticized the Ministry of Education’s measures to protect teacher rights. In particular, voices were raised that 'recording in the student life record' cannot be a fundamental solution. An elementary school teacher (38, female) working in Gyeonggi-do said, "Since the Ministry of Education threatened dismissal and removal, school administrators, concerned about their own safety, could not easily decide on school closures," and said she used personal leave to attend the rally. She added, "Teachers are not asking for recording in student records," and "They want measures that allow teachers to respond when parents and students report child abuse, and ways for students, parents, and teachers to discuss and cooperate."

Another elementary school teacher (44, female) working in Gyeonggi-do explained, "Currently, the Child Welfare Act cannot save children abused at home and leaves it to teachers," and "In such situations, most children called 'Geumkkok-i' cannot be controlled, and if teachers respond passively, they are criticized for neglect." She said, "The provisions related to child abuse should be clearly presented, and the law clauses that strictly suspend teachers should be revised."

Most teachers had a negative stance toward the Ministry of Education’s response to discipline teachers who take leave to attend rallies. A kindergarten teacher (30, female) in Seoul said, "I left early in the afternoon to attend the rally," and "After seeing the death of the Seoicho teacher, I thought parents’ complaints were natural, but I realized they were not," and criticized, "The Ministry of Education said they would discipline teachers who take sick or annual leave, but I think that is not a proper response."

Citizens who attended the rally to express support and solidarity were also seen in various places. Hwang Seong-hyun (68), a retired teacher from Cheonan, Chungnam, who came that day, said, "When I was at school, parents’ demands were overwhelming, and there were many cases of verbal abuse," and "I came from afar to support the struggling teachers."

On the 4th, protesters are giving a speech at the '49th Memorial Rally for Seoicho Teachers' held in front of the National Assembly building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Park Joon-yi]

On the 49th day memorial, rallies were held not only in Seoul but also across the country. On the same afternoon, rallies of various sizes were held in 13 locations nationwide, including Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Chungcheong, Jeonbuk, Daejeon, Gwangju, Jeonnam, Daegu, Ulsan, Gyeongnam, Busan, and Jeju. The organizers announced that about 100,000 people gathered nationwide. However, many teachers opposed the rally on the 4th and took personal memorials by taking annual or sick leave.

Meanwhile, as of 5 p.m. that day, the Ministry of Education estimated that 38 elementary schools nationwide had temporarily closed. This corresponds to 0.6% of the total 6,286 elementary schools.

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