South Korean teacher kicked by third-grader highlights rise in classroom violence

South China Morning Post

28-05-2025

A troubling incident in
South Korea , where a third-grade student kicked a teacher after being corrected on a wrong answer, has sparked a debate about the increasing assaults on educators nationwide, highlighting growing concerns about teacher safety in schools.
On Tuesday, authorities reported that a student in Gyeonggi province, who had a history of difficulty accepting mistakes, began yelling and kicking when informed that their answer was incorrect. In South Korea, students in the third grade are typically between eight and nine years old.
Even after a substitute teacher replaced the original teacher, the student continued to disrupt the class and allegedly threatened the new teacher as well, The Korea Times newspaper reported.
Following the incident on May 9, the school principal granted the teacher five days off and proposed a meeting with the parents, which the teacher rejected, viewing it as a coercive attempt to resolve the issue. The teacher also refused a written apology from both the student and their parents.
This lack of separation and healing, combined with the expectation that teachers deal with complaints, amounts to secondary victimisation
Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union statement
The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union criticised the principal's response as inadequate, accusing the school of failing to protect the teacher and instead pressuring them to meet the student's family.