In February 10th, a sudden deployment of five police officers occurred at a Seoul elementary school’s graduation ceremony due to a parent’s report of child abuse against the school’s vice principal. The incident traces back to a student council election held four days prior. A fourth-grade student, referred to as A, emerged as the victor. However, six opposing candidates collectively raised concerns about the violation of election rules. When the school authorities declared the election null and void, A’s mother’s response began. She posted on a local parenting forum alleging that the vice principal had physically disciplined her child, demanded a signature acknowledging the nullification of the election results, and shouted for 15 minutes. A also provided a detailed account of the harm experienced.
This escalation resulted in a cascade of legal complaints, including charges such as child welfare law violations, forgery, coercion, threats, and defamation, totaling seven charges. Fortunately, the vice principal was acquitted in the initial legal proceedings owing to a 2-minute and 30-second audio recording of their conversation with the student. A’s mother persisted and continued her efforts, submitting eight administrative petitions to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to reverse the election nullification. Simultaneously, she lodged 24 complaints with the National Petition Office, requesting the release of information encompassing 29 specific demands. Starting from June, her requests expanded to encompass details like the principal’s work history, road construction records, and school card usage. These numerous information requests have placed a strain on the school’s resources throughout the current semester.
In response, parents supportive of A argued that the principal’s alleged misconduct aimed to sabotage A’s election chances and damage their reputation. Conversely, the principal countercharged the parent for defamation in light of their allegations. Amidst these complaints, A ran as the sole candidate in a subsequent election held in March and was elected as the student body president. This highlights a concerning trend in South Korea’s education system, where some parents, driven by their social standing, seek to manipulate educational authority, and misguided educational practices aimed at selfishly resolving expressions of parental love are negatively impacting students.