"The Opposing Side Has Responded Very Forcefully"...Education-Rights Protection Officer to Support Teacher in 'Joo Ho-min's Son' Case

[Financial News] A special-education teacher indicted for allegedly emotionally abusing webtoon artist Joo Ho-min's son will receive support from an education-rights protection officer.
According to the provincial education office on the 15th, the Education Rights Protection Group under the superintendent of education recently classified the case involving special-education teacher A as a reported child-abuse case and decided to support the teacher.
When a report of an infringement of teachers' rights is filed, the Education Rights Protection Group classifies it into one of three categories: reported child abuse; infringement of educational activities, including injury, assault, or threats; or malicious complaints. It then reviews the case to determine whether the group should provide direct support.
One full-time education-rights protection officer, a school inspector, was assigned to Teacher A first. The decision reportedly took into account the seriousness of the case, including the fact that it has continued for several years. The Education Rights Protection Group plans to provide the teacher with tailored one-on-one support by additionally assigning legal professionals, including an attorney, from among the 300 education-rights protection officers selected through an open recruitment process.
A representative of the Gyeonggi Teachers' Union, which has supported Teacher A's case, explained, "This is a case that began in 2022 and is difficult for an individual teacher to handle alone. Although the teacher was acquitted in the second trial, we believe continued support is necessary because the opposing side has responded very forcefully."
The representative added, "The teacher also said they felt relieved after hearing that the Education Rights Protection Group would provide support."
Meanwhile, Teacher A was indicted without detention for allegedly emotionally abusing Joo Ho-min's son, who was nine years old at the time, in 2022 in a personalized learning class at an elementary school in Yongin. The teacher allegedly said, "Your manners are extremely bad. Ugh, I hate it. I hate it so much. I hate you. I hate you too. I really hate you."
The investigation began after Joo recorded the remarks with a recording device placed in his son's schoolbag and filed a complaint against Teacher A for alleged child abuse. The first-trial court recognized the recording as admissible evidence and suspended the pronouncement of a 2 million won fine for Teacher A. However, the appellate court ruled that the secret recording constituted an "undisclosed conversation between other people" under the Protection of Communications Secrets Act and was therefore inadmissible. It overturned the lower court's ruling and acquitted the teacher.
The case is now awaiting a ruling by the Supreme Court of Korea after the prosecution appealed.
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter