Teachers stage mass rally before planned walkout

Hundreds of thousands of teachers demanded the restoration of teachers’ rights and the normalization of public education during their regular mass rally on Saturday.

Teachers rally in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Saturday to commemorate the death of an elementary teacher who took her own life in July and demand legislative measures to protect them from malicious complaints from students and parents. [NEWS1]

Hundreds of thousands of teachers demanded the restoration of teachers’ rights and the normalization of public education during their regular mass rally on Saturday.

The protest took place ahead of a large-scale walkout planned for Monday.

Some 200,000 people came from all over the country and appeared at the protest wearing black outfits and hats.

They also held picket signs that demanded stern punishments for malicious complaints and immediate amendments to the Child Welfare Act in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, western Seoul.

According to the rally's organizers, teachers voluntarily rented some 600 buses and two planes to allow their colleagues to come to Seoul for the protest.

The organizers said they initially expected around 100,000 people to join the rally, but double that number ultimately took part.

The number far exceeded the previous week's 60,000.

Saturday’s rally marked the seventh large-scale protest since the suicide of a 23-year-old teacher at Seoul Seo 2 Elementary School in southern Seoul.

Teachers said they would use their annual leaves and sick leaves to go on strike to protest against the government and fight for their rights.

The Ministry of Education has warned that it will respond sternly to those who use their leaves illegally, saying that “using leaves and designating a temporary holiday for the sake of a collective action is illegal.”

According to local media, the ministry plans to receive reports from 17 education offices across the country on teachers who used their leaves on Monday.

The deaths of two teachers in Seoul and North Jeolla also became a trigger, bringing more teachers together on Saturday.

“I came to protest after seeing that such incidents took place even when regular rallies are being held,” said a 25-year-old elementary school teacher surnamed Park who came all the way from Sangju in North Gyeongsang for the rally.

“I will also join the Monday’s walkout. Many teachers around me plan to join as well.”

Some even came with their children.

“I can see that students do not listen to us as time goes by, while malicious reports from parents are increasing,” said a 41-year-old elementary school in Seoul who came to the rally with an elementary school son.

“I brought my child to show him that things can change if people come together.”

Teachers on Saturday asked for the truth behind the recent teacher deaths.

“We lost two of our colleagues again,” said one of the rally organizers.

“It is tragic to see how schools are trying to cover up the problem just like they did a month ago.”

An elementary school teacher in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, was found dead near an apartment in Goyang, Gyeonggi, Thursday.

The teacher was in charge of a sixth-grade class at the school.

Another elementary school teacher in Gunsan, North Gyeongsang, was found dead on Friday.

“Another heartbreaking incident that could not even be described in words took place,” said Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Cho Hee-yeon.

“We will take legal actions and report the case to investigative authorities if the death is seen related to malicious complaints.”

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho on Sunday pleaded with teachers to refrain from taking leaves to participate in the planned mass walkout during a meeting of superintendents held at the government complex in central Seoul.

The minister stressed that the government will “try its best to listen to teachers and reflect their opinions in educational policies.”

“The ministry has developed a comprehensive plan for restoring and strengthening educators’ authority and is pushing forward with legislation that will help distinguish legitimate educational activities from child abuse crimes,” Lee said.

BY CHANG YOON-SEO, CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]