Authorities to investigate suspected teacher suicides in Gyeonggi

Gyeonggi Province Office of Education said it will investigate the alleged suicides of two teachers that were initially reported as accidents. The teachers reportedly suffered from constant harrassment from parents.

Memorial wreath placed in front of the Uijeongbu Howon Elementary School in Gyeonggi on Wednesday where two teachers took their own lives in 2021 just six months apart. The school reported the death simply as accidents. [YONHAP]

Gyeonggi Province Office of Education said it will investigate the alleged suicides of two teachers at an elementary school in Gyeonggi that were initially reported as accidents.

Education Superintendent Yim Tae-hee wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that the education office will be forming a task force to investigate the deaths of two teachers at the same school in 2021.

“I have been informed about news reports of two teachers at an elementary school taking their own lives in 2021,” Yim said. “At the time, it was reported to the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education that they died from accidental falls.

“However, according to the beavered families, the teachers suffered from malicious complaints from parents.”

Yim vowed to take appropriate action if the investigation finds the teachers' rights had been violated.

Earlier this week, MBC reported on the deaths of two schoolteachers at Uijeongbu Howon Elementary School who died six months apart.

Kim Eun-ji, who was 23 years old, died in June, while Lee Young-seung, who was 25 years old, died in December.

Kim joined the school in March 2017. It was her first job as an educator.

In her first year, she was put in charge of a third-grade class.

However, MBC reported that a month after starting class, she was diagnosed with depression.

She turned in her resignation, which was denied. In April that same year, she was reassigned as a music teacher.

However, in 2018, she was reassigned to general classes.

According to Kim’s father, the teacher was constantly harassed by calls from parents, even after work.

Some parents reportedly threatened to sue the teacher, forcing her to repeatedly apologize.

Her smartphone diary documented her troubles, with Kim writing how she suffered palpitations about things that weren't her fault.

The other teacher, Lee Young-seung, began working at the school in 2016. It was his first job as an educator as well.

However, he reportedly suffered harassment from parents, including one parent who demanded he pay for plastic surgery for a student who sliced their hand while cutting a plastic bottle during class.

After the incident, the teacher took a break and joined the army. Yet the parents continued to call the teacher even at his barracks, according to Lee’s father, who was interviewed by MBC.

Lee returned to the school in 2021, where he was put in charge of a fifth-grade class. However, he reportedly continued to struggle with complaints from parents.

In particular, one parent constantly complained that their child was being bullied.

The parent even came to the school unannounced to demand the teacher force the alleged bullies apology in front of the class.

When Lee said he couldn't do this, the parent threatened to take the matter to the school bullying committee, at which point Lee reportedly apologized.

Before taking his own life on Dec. 8, 2021, Lee sent a text message in which he said he believed himself unfit for the job and that every day had been a struggle, though he absolved students of any blame.

The school has faced accusations that it tried to cover up the two suspected suicides as accidents.

The school also reportedly told Kim's family that she had been depressed over problems with her boyfriend. It told Lee's family that he seemed to be suffering from bad investments.

The MBC report followed public outrage over the suicide of a young teacher at Seo 2 Elementary School in southern Seoul last month.

The death sparked widespread protests from teachers, who have long complained of eroding classroom authority, especially in the face of harassment by students and parents.

Teachers have been rallying every weekend to demand a proper investigation of the death and improvements in the classroom environment.

The teachers plan to continue the rallies until the end of the traditional 49-day mourning period following the teacher's death.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]