Controversy Erupts Following Release of Corporal Punishment Video from Jeonnam High School
A video showing a teacher hitting students’ faces at a high school in Jeonnam has sparked significant controversy after being released online.
According to the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education and others on the 20th, a video titled "Yosu A High School Corporal Punishment Video 2017-2018" was recently posted on an online community. The shocking footage shows a man, presumed to be a teacher, repeatedly hitting the faces of three students who were standing in front of a blackboard.
The video includes an explanation that, despite 30 minutes having passed since the class started, the teacher had not entered the classroom, leading some students to chatter, and that the teacher who arrived late resorted to violence against the students as punishment.
Retired teachers and graduates… the previously undisclosed past of corporal punishment
As the incident spread online, education authorities immediately launched an investigation.
Upon confirming the school's motto and uniform depicted in the video, it was determined that the school is a high school located in Jeonnam, and the school began cooperating with the Provincial Office of Education to ascertain the details of the incident.
The investigation revealed that the teacher in the video had already retired honorably in 2019. Additionally, it was reported that all students who were either subjected to or witnessed the corporal punishment had already graduated.
Despite this, the school authorities and the education department took the matter seriously and decided to report the teacher to the police on charges of child abuse, while also working to locate the affected students.
A representative from the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education stated, "The violent behavior captured in the video is shocking to the extent that it is hard to believe it occurred recently," adding, "We will not only investigate this incident but also implement measures to prevent similar occurrences."
Meanwhile, the statute of limitations for assault varies depending on the type of crime. Simple assault has a statute of limitations of 5 years, assault involving injury has a 7-year limitation, and special assault using weapons has a limitation of 10 years. This is calculated from the date of the crime, and it can be paused if an investigation is ongoing or if the perpetrator flees.
Image source: Online community
