Parents of Alleged Abuse Victim Petition for Mandatory CCTV in Public Kindergartens

Parents of a child allegedly abused at a kindergarten in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, have petitioned for mandatory closed-circuit television installation in all public kindergartens following an incident last month.

The petition, titled "Petition for Mandatory CCTV Installation and Improved Management System in Public Kindergartens," was posted on the National Petition board on Monday.

"Until this incident, we never doubted that most kindergartens had properly functioning CCTV systems," the parents wrote. "We only learned after the incident that the CCTV installed in our child's classroom was not even operating."

The parents pointed to a "structural problem causing disparities in child safety," noting that public kindergartens have relatively low CCTV installation rates compared to daycare centers, where installation is mandatory, and private kindergartens, which have a 95 percent installation rate.

"At the time of the incident, there was no evidence available except for the testimony of the victim and statements from other children," they said. "The child victims are experiencing psychological distress and emotional instability from having to repeatedly recall what they went through due to repeated requests for statements."

The parents emphasized that "prevention is most important," arguing that mandatory installation is "not about viewing teachers as potential criminals, but rather a minimum safety measure to verify objective facts when incidents occur, protecting both children and teachers."

"Mandatory installation is necessary to guarantee children's right to safety and to create an environment where teachers can also clearly prove their innocence," they added.

The petition specifically requests mandatory CCTV installation in all kindergartens regardless of public or private status, expansion of installation locations to all spaces where children and teachers interact including classrooms, and institutionalized regular inspections to verify proper operation.

The parents also called for introducing audio recording functions with restricted access for use in disputes or accidents.