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| Cartoonist Joo Ho-min / Screen captured from his social media account |
By Kim Se-jeong
Joo Ho-min, a renowned cartoonist, is now in the hot seat for requesting police to investigate his son's teacher for child abuse. His request coincided with a growing outcry for increased protection of teachers after an elementary school teacher committed suicide last month.
While the teacher is on trial for child abuse, public sentiment has been growing against the cartoonist since the story went public.
According to news reports, the incident, which led to the police investigation, took place last September when Joo's autistic son pulled his pants down in class. He was separated immediately from the classroom, but one female student, who was shocked by the boy's behavior, reported the incident to the school. The teacher asked Joo to apologize to the student and her parents in order to resolve the case, but he refused.
"In a case like this, the parents of the student who did something wrong apologize. But the boy's parents refused to apologize in this case, which was unfortunate," according to a court statement filed by the teacher.
A few days later, the teacher was teaching the Korean word for "nasty" to students with developmental disabilities, including Joo's son, and mentioned the boy's behavior from days earlier as an example.
While she was speaking, her voice was recorded, without her knowledge, by a device hidden in the son's clothes. Joo claimed the language was abusive and wanted the teacher removed. But after failing to get what he wanted in negotiations with the school, Joo reported the teacher to the police.
The case did not draw attention until last week when the death of the elementary school teacher unleashed outcries from other teachers who wanted protection from abusive parents.
When Joo's story was revealed, it quickly prompted teachers to stand united in support of their colleague. They argue Joo is a prime example of an abusive parent.
Almost 80 teachers reportedly submitted a petition to the judge claiming her innocence. On Aug. 31, the Korean Federation of Teachers' Association also submitted a petition.
Teachers also took issue with the fact that Joo secretly recorded the teacher's voice. While Joo claimed it was necessary to protect his son, the teachers and other critics have demanded the judge reject the recorded file as evidence and punish him. It is illegal to secretly record conversations in Korea. The next trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 28.
The teacher's death and Joo's story shed light on the Korean education system which is usually known for notorious competition and hard work among students. Little attention has been given to school teachers who reportedly suffer harassment from parents and fear being falsely accused of child abuse. Korea's education authorities said 100 teachers ― 57 elementary school teachers ― have ended their lives over the last six years.
The revelation also won the teacher unexpected support.
On July 31, the chief educator for the province where the school belongs came out to support the teacher and ordered her to return to work ― she had been removed from the position when the legal proceedings began.
"This can shake the entire special education system. The education office will respond to the case, rather than leaving the teacher to handle it alone," said Yim Tae-hee, chief educator for Gyeonggi Province. The teacher returned to work on Aug. 1
Reportedly, lawmakers are also discussing legal measures to protect special education teachers.
The scandal is impacting Joo's career.
Local cable TV station tvN canceled the airing of a show featuring the cartoonist after the story went public. His Instagram account was filled with negative comments and many fans stopped following him.
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| A woman reads messages of mourning posted on the wall of an elementary school in southern Seoul where a teacher took her own life, July 21. Yonhap |
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