Over 4,000 Gyeongnam Teachers Also Cry Out for 'Restoration of Public Education'... A Black Wave

Superintendent Park Jong-hoon: "No More Teachers Should Be Driven to Extremes"

On the 49th day memorial of the late teacher from Seo-i Elementary School in Seoul, held on the 4th, teachers dressed in black from the province, regional education directors, and parents gathered at the Gyeongnam Office of Education.

The memorial cultural festival marking the 49th day of the Seo-i Elementary School teacher, jointly hosted by the Gyeongnam Teachers' Association Federation, the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, and the Gyeongnam Teachers' Labor Union, was attended by an estimated 4,000 people according to the police.

At the memorial cultural event held on the road in front of the Gyeongnam Office of Education to commemorate the 49th day of the passing of Seo-i Elementary School teachers, attendees are showing their sympathy with the speaker's words.
[Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]

About 100 police officers from the provincial police agency and Changwon Jungbu Police Station were deployed to control the lanes in front of the provincial Office of Education, redirect traffic, and prevent safety accidents.

Before participating in the cultural festival, attendees placed chrysanthemums at the incense altar set up in the parking lot of the Gyeongnam Office of Education to honor the spirits of the deceased teachers.

They shed tears while listening to memorial poems and empathized and encouraged each other by hearing the voices of fellow teachers and university students aspiring to become teachers.

Noh Kyung-seok, former head of the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) (first from the left), Kim Kwang-seop, president of the Gyeongnam Teachers' Association, and Lee Chung-soo, chairman of the Gyeongnam Teachers' Labor Union, are greeting each other after solidarity speeches.
[Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]

No Kyung-seok, head of the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, said, “We must create schools where there are no more tragic deaths, schools where we do not have to feel sorry or grieve,” adding, “Only institutional and legal reforms to secure educational rights can truly send off the departed teachers in peace.”

Lee Choong-soo, chairman of the Gyeongnam Teachers' Labor Union, stated, “If a student or parent feels upset during class, the teacher can be prosecuted for emotional child abuse and suspended from their position,” and emphasized, “The Child Abuse Punishment Act and Child Welfare Act must be amended to guarantee educational activities and allow the educational community to function properly.”

Kim Kwang-seop, president of the Gyeongnam Teachers' Association, said, “I feel powerless and grief as a colleague for the Seo-i Elementary School teacher who became a star in the sky before fully blooming,” and pledged, “We will not ignore or give up on the harsh reality where teachers cannot properly guide students, and we will definitely change the flawed laws, systems, and unreasonable practices.”

On this day, teachers called for amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Early Childhood Education Act, the Teachers' Status Act, and the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes, including provisions for ▲separating students who disrupt classes ▲holding school principals responsible for education-related guardian complaints ▲handling complaints according to legal procedures and regulations ▲and prioritizing the obligation to hear the superintendent’s opinion when reporting child abuse.

Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Education, is standing on the podium pledging efforts to restore public education and protect teachers' rights.
[Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]

Among those filling two lanes of the road in front of the provincial Office of Education was Park Jong-hoon, superintendent of Gyeongnam Office of Education.

Superintendent Park clasped his hands as if in prayer while listening to the speakers among the gathered crowd.

Taking the stage, he said, “I know very well how united the teachers are in this matter, and I am reflecting more than those outside the education sector,” adding, “As superintendent, I will reflect on what I need to and take responsibility where necessary.”

“I will do my best in the role of superintendent to ensure that teachers are not driven to extremes again and that they do not have to come to such a place again.”

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