'Shillim-dong Assault' Teacher Applies for Line-of-Duty Death... 17,576 People Join Petition

Bereaved Family: "Unjust Death While Commuting... Must Be Recognized as Duty-Related"
Teachers, Students, Parents, and Local Residents Submit Petition

The family of an elementary school teacher who died after being assaulted by Choi Yoon-jong (30) on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul last August has applied to the authorities for recognition of her death as a work-related fatality. A petition demanding recognition of the death as work-related was signed by a total of 17,576 people, including teachers, parents, students, and local residents.

On the 23rd, the deceased’s family, their legal representatives, the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (hereinafter 'KFTA'), and the Seoul Federation of Teachers' Associations announced that they would submit a claim for work-related survivor benefits to the Seoul Dongjak-Gwanak Office of Education.

The family of an elementary school teacher who was killed on the way to work last August on a hiking trail in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, is speaking before submitting a 'line-of-duty death family allowance' claim to the Seoul Dongjak-Gwanak Office of Education on the 23rd.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The deceased’s elder brother said at a press conference held prior to the submission, "My sister was unjustly killed while on her way to school to participate in training, so I believe her death must be recognized as work-related." He shed tears throughout the press conference, moving those around him.

Yeo Nan-sil, Vice President of KFTA, said, "The deceased was diligent and sincere at school, serving not only as a homeroom teacher but also as the head of the physical education department and a designated teacher, and even planning voluntary training during vacations." She added, "It is regrettable that this incident, which sounded an alarm for social safety nets beyond a personal tragedy, is being forgotten." She continued, "Her death must be recognized as work-related and her honor restored. We hope the family’s grief will be comforted, and the heinous crime must be severely punished."

On the same day, KFTA also delivered a total of 17,576 petitions demanding recognition of the death as work-related. These petitions combined 16,915 petitions written by teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide and about 600 petitions separately collected by the deceased’s school from parents, teachers, and local residents. Along with these, 678 letters written by the deceased’s school students were also submitted.

The deceased, who was a teacher at an elementary school in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, died after being assaulted by Choi Yoon-jong (30) on August 17 while on her way to work via the hiking trail in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu.

The procedure for recognizing a death as work-related involves the bereaved family submitting a claim to the Office of Education, after which the Government Employees Pension Service and the Ministry of Personnel Management verify the facts, and the Ministry of Personnel Management’s review committee makes the final decision on whether to recognize the death as work-related.

According to Article 4 of the Government Employees Accident Compensation Act, accidents occurring during commuting by the usual route and method are classified as work-related injuries. If the hiking trail in Sillim-dong was the usual commuting route for the deceased, her death could be recognized as work-related.

Jung Hye-sung, the family’s legal representative from the law firm Daeseoyang, said, "Based on affidavits from parents who are local residents witnessing the deceased’s usual commute via the Sillim-dong park trail and many fellow teachers, it is reasonable to consider this accident as a work-related injury occurring during commuting."

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