High School Students' Political Declarations on SNS Blocked by Schools... Education Office Conducts Full Survey

Seoul A High School Posts Political Statement Criticizing Martial Law Situation
School Demands "Take Down the Post"
Yoon Couple's Alma Mater Also Previously Posted

Participants are shouting slogans at a rally calling for impeachment held in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 14th, when the second impeachment vote against President Yoon Suk-yeol took place. Photo by Heo Young-han

Students at a high school in Seoul posted a political statement condemning the emergency martial law situation. After receiving criticism from the school, the education authorities announced they would conduct a full investigation.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 17th, 167 students from A High School located in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, posted a political statement condemning the emergency martial law situation on the student council's official social media (SNS) account on the 15th. In the statement, they pledged "not to remain silent but to take action," and included the students' real names. The school warned that "individual students could be targeted by political forces opposing impeachment," urging them to reconsider. In response, the student council removed the real names and reposted the statement. However, the school then demanded the student council take down the post based on school regulations, citing a clause that political involvement could lead to disciplinary action. The post has since been deleted.

The school explained, "We judged that students might suffer harm such as unwanted contact," but added, "There are no plans for disciplinary action." However, as controversy grew, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education began investigating and providing guidance to the high school. A spokesperson said, "We are planning supervision and consulting for A High School," and added, "We will conduct a full survey to see if any high schools in Seoul have regulations that prohibit students' political involvement." Previously, after the emergency martial law situation, students at Chungam High School and Myeongil Girls' High School, alma maters of President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, posted political statements and large posters criticizing them.

A large poster displayed at Seoul Myeongil Girls' High School, the alma mater of Mrs. Kim Geon-hee. Online community

Meanwhile, due to amendments to the Public Official Election Act, the voting age was lowered from 19 to 18 in 2020, and in 2022, political laws were revised to allow those aged 16 and older to join political parties. Accordingly, previous school regulations that included disciplinary clauses for political involvement are being revised to exclude such provisions. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also sent official letters to schools in March 2020, April 2022, and March and October of this year, requesting them to review their regulations in line with the legal amendments. However, some schools still maintain related disciplinary clauses, citing concerns that students might suffer harm.

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