Joo Ho-min's Child Abuse Controversy Takes a New Turn After Special Teacher's Acquittal

A special education teacher, accused of emotionally abusing webtoon artist Joo Ho-min's children, has been acquitted in the appellate court, leading Professor Ryu Jae-yeon from Nazarene University’s special education department to demand a public apology from the artist.

Professor Ryu, an expert in special education with over 30 years of experience, posted a video on his YouTube channel titled “Mr. Joo Ho-min, please forgive your wife Han Soo-ja and make sure to bounce back” on the 13th.

He stated that after listening to and analyzing all the secretly recorded transcripts obtained through a recording device placed in their son’s backpack, he concluded that "this is not child abuse" and criticized Joo Ho-min from the stance of supporting the teacher.

"This is not child abuse"

The Key Aspects of the Special Teacher's Acquittal and Professor Ryu's Position

Professor Ryu, who witnessed the appellate court's ruling for the special teacher, conveyed, "While illegal recording is a problem, the key conclusion of the court is that there is a lack of consistency and credibility in Han Soo-ja's claims. Simply put, it means it’s a lie."

He expressed understanding toward Han Soo-ja, saying, "I think a parent's desire to care well for their child led to this. Therefore, having good friends is very important," and criticized those who encouraged her to place a recorder in the child’s bag, questioning their conscience.

Regarding Joo Ho-min, the professor mentioned, "Mr. Joo Ho-min is a victim. He listened to his wife’s words out of the desire to protect his family, and he defended her. I understand the heart of such a husband. He would have wanted to treat his wife and his son with a disability well."

Crossing the Line in Responses and Demands for Public Apology

However, Professor Ryu pointed out that Joo Ho-min's response crossed a line. "He dragged a deceased celebrity into his case to elicit sympathy and spread fabricated words that the special teacher never said. He has also stated, 'I will make an end of Ryu Jae-yeon,'" he criticized.

He then urged, "Mr. Joo Ho-min, this is it. How is your child currently? What is happening with your second son?" and added, "Now, formally apologize. For your children, for special education, for teachers, and for many who suffer due to disabilities, let’s do good things together. Thank you for your hard work. It will be tough, but have courage."

Meanwhile, the 6-2 Criminal Appellate Division of the Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Eun-jung, Kang Hee-kyung, Kwak Hyung-seob) acquitted the special teacher, Mr. A (46), who was indicted without detention for violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes.

The first trial court had initially sentenced Mr. A to a fine of 2 million won, but the appellate court ruled that "the contents captured on the secretly recorded audio cannot be used as (legitimate) evidence, as it violates the Communications Privacy Protection Act."

Image Source: (Left) Professor Ryu Jae-yeon, Nazarene University’s Special Education Department / YouTube, (Right) Joo Ho-min / YouTube 'Joo Ho-min', Cartoonist Joo Ho-min / News1, YouTube 'Joo Ho-min'