Police Close Investigation into 'Seoicho Incident'... Teachers' Union Calls It a Typical Inadequate Probe, Demands Reinvestigation

Seoul Teachers' Union "Existence of Acts Infringing Educational Activities"
JeonGyoJo "Parental Complaints and Abuse of Power Allegations Not Proven"

Amid the police's decision to close the investigation without charges in the 'Seoi Elementary School Incident,' where a teacher died at a school last July, teacher organizations have pointed out 'inadequate investigation' and demanded a reinvestigation.

The Seoul Teachers' Union issued a statement on the 14th expressing "deep regret over the police announcement and urging the police to conduct a reinvestigation." It added, "Our union has pointed out, based on reports from fellow teachers and parents, the deceased's diary, and HiTalk messages, that the cause of the deceased's death was not a personal issue but due to difficulties in managing problematic students, stress from excessive parental complaints, and infringement on the deceased's educational activities." It further stated, "However, the police initially attributed the death to personal reasons, causing confusion in media reports and blocking the bereaved family's right to know."

The Teachers' Union said, "the psychological autopsy results from the National Forensic Service indicating 'stress related to managing the class, incidents among students, and mediation with parents concerning school affairs' support the fact that the deceased experienced infringement on educational activities," adding, "Based on this, the investigative authorities should have strictly investigated parents who infringed on the deceased's educational activities and actively applied relevant laws to find grounds for charges. We express regret again over the case being closed as 'no criminal suspicion' and once again demand a reinvestigation from the authorities."

On the 49th day memorial of the late Seo Elementary School teacher on the 4th, citizens lined up to place flowers at the memorial altar set up at Seo Elementary School in Seoul. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@

On the same day, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union also issued a statement saying, "Fellow teachers who worked together revealed circumstances of infringement on teacher rights through various media, and hundreds of thousands of teachers demanded a fact-finding investigation into Seoi Elementary School, risking disciplinary actions and engaging in various signatures, rallies, and other actions." They rebutted, "(The police's closure of the investigation) is nothing but a wordplay that obscures the essence of the Seoi Elementary School incident, which is a clear case of infringement on teacher rights and abuse of power against teachers."

They continued, "Looking at the police briefing, the forensic analysis of the mobile phone was ultimately not properly conducted, and the contents of parental complaints and abuse allegations were not revealed," criticizing, "The police's attitude and investigation results, which do not focus on the essence of the incident, are typical examples of 'inadequate investigation.'"

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