"Is the Child Starving at the Daycare?"... Director Served 3kg of Tonkatsu to 85 Children

The prosecution has requested a one-year prison sentence for Director A of a national and public daycare center in Sejong City, who was accused of illegally recording conversations among daycare teachers with whom she had conflicts and of 'poor meal service' after distributing 3 kg of pork cutlet to 85 people. The 3 kg pork cutlet is a popular challenge menu among mukbang YouTubers. Typically, a 3 kg pork cutlet sold in online shopping malls consists of 20 pieces weighing 150g each, enough for 20 adults or 40 children if divided in half, but when shared among 85 people, it amounts to less than 40g per person.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 6th at the Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 1, the prosecution demanded a one-year prison term for A, who was indicted without detention on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (Information and Communications Network Act).

A photo posted by a parent on a local mom cafe raising suspicions that the school meal was inadequately served. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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Since June last year, A had conflicts with daycare teachers over employment succession and the drafting of labor contracts. As a result, 10 teachers resigned en masse. During this process, A is accused of recording messages exchanged among teachers through one teacher's work computer and copying document files.

Additionally, allegations arose that '3 kg of pork cutlet was purchased and served to 75 children and 10 teachers,' leading to suspicions of meal service corruption and poor daycare management. Some parents claimed, "Our children come home hungrier from daycare and eat more at home," and eventually, over 120 parents submitted a petition for A's dismissal to the city.

In court, the prosecution stated, "Regardless of the motive behind the incident, the act of invading privacy by recording the victim's KakaoTalk conversations is highly condemnable, and considering that the recorded conversations were leaked to the media causing significant damage, we request the court to sentence the defendant to one year in prison."

Daejeon District Court
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Meanwhile, A was appointed as the new director of the daycare center in November 2022. However, from the start, she clashed with teachers over daycare operations and employment and labor contract drafting.

Some of the teachers who resigned collectively in protest against A also filed complaints with the National Human Rights Commission. These complaints included allegations that the director disparaged children's appearances, enforced overly strict rehearsal practices for graduation ceremonies, and made derogatory remarks about parents' economic status.

A was suspended from duty and audited by Sejong City, but in September last year, the city concluded there was 'no suspicion' and reinstated her. However, this time, many parents announced plans to withdraw their children and took a strong stance. The number of children enrolled in this daycare was 75 as of May last year, but six months later it dropped to around 30, and on the 5th of this month, it sharply declined to 8.

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