On July 3, a primary school teacher in Korea wrote that she had become so overwhelmed by the craziness of work she wanted to let go of everything. Two weeks later, the 23-year-old was found dead in her classroom store cupboard by her colleagues. She had taken her own life. This tragedy has unleashed a wave of anger from primary school teachers across South Korea.

They revealed that in the months leading up to her suicide, she had been bombarded by complaints from the bullying parents. It is because one of her pupils had slashed another student’s head with a pencil, and she’d been embroiled in heated late phone calls and messages with the parents. After being publicized, teachers all around Korea protested and shared their traumatizing moments while dealing with bullying parents.

Traditionally, Korea had a strong culture of respecting teachers, but because of the country’s rapid economic growth, many parents are now highly educated. This means they often look down on teachers and think they have paid for them with their taxes. In addition, this creates a strong sense of entitlement.

The South Korean government passed a new law regarding this case.
Under the new legislation, called the Teacher Rights Restoration Bill, teachers will not be immediately removed following a report of child abuse; further investigation and evidence will be required. This incident provoked awareness about teachers’ rights and safety in South Korean society.