Weapons in the Classroom... Teacher Groups Call for Measures to Protect Educators

Following a series of teacher assault incidents occurring on school premises, teacher organizations are calling for measures to protect educators.

According to the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) on April 14, the number of injury and assault cases involving teachers has been increasing every year: 106 cases in 2020, 231 in 2021, 347 in 2022, 488 in 2023, 502 in 2024, and 328 during the first semester of 2025. The KFTA stated, "Based on the number of school days, an average of four teachers per day are subjected to assault or injury."

Recently, incidents of injury and assault against teachers have continued to occur at schools. On April 13, at a high school in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, a student wielded a pre-prepared weapon in the principal's office, resulting in a teacher sustaining injuries to the back and neck and being transported to the hospital. On March 31, at a middle school in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, a student assaulted a female teacher, causing her to be taken to the emergency room.

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) said, "The fact that a teacher was attacked in a place that should be the safest—during a meeting with a school administrator present—symbolically shows how the safety net in educational settings has collapsed." The union added, "The dysfunctional system that drives teachers into desperate situations must be completely reformed." In a survey conducted by the Elementary School Teachers Union, 93% of respondents said, "I handle complaints alone when they arise," and a survey by the Secondary School Teachers Union found that 75% responded, "When complaints related to evaluations occur, all responsibility is shifted onto the individual teacher."

Teacher organizations believe that the current system, which places all responsibility for communication solely on the goodwill of individual teachers, cannot adequately protect educators in the field. The KFTA argued that this incident should serve as an opportunity to overhaul related laws and systems, demanding that entries of serious violations of teacher rights (injury, assault, sexual violence) be recorded in student records, the introduction of a "state responsibility system for lawsuits related to educational activities," and a "counter-lawsuit system for malicious complaints." The KFTAs from 17 cities and provinces plan to hold an emergency press conference in front of the National Assembly on April 15 to call for improvements to the teacher protection system.

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