Violence inside classrooms is no longer an "exceptional incident" in South Korea, as physical attacks and verbal abuse against teachers continue to mount, raising fundamental concerns about school safety.
The issue of infringement on teachers' rights has resurfaced following a recent stabbing incident in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, with violence against teachers showing signs of escalation rather than decline.
Student Attacks Teacher with Knife After Requesting Meeting
According to police, a third-year high school student identified as A attacked a teacher in his 30s, identified as B, with a knife multiple times in the principal's office at a high school in Gyeryong at approximately 8:44 a.m. on January 13. B sustained serious injuries and was transported to a hospital but is reported to be in stable condition.
A fled immediately after the attack but turned himself in about five minutes later. He was arrested on attempted murder charges, and police have applied for an arrest warrant.
The investigation revealed that the conflict between the two dates back to middle school. A had reportedly harbored resentment toward B, who served as the student affairs director at the time, believing B had disciplined him more harshly than other students. The tension deepened when they were reunited at the same high school.
A had refused to attend school, citing trauma, and the school suggested alternative education at another institution, which A had been attending since January 6. However, on the day of the incident, A went to his original school instead and requested a meeting with B through the principal. When the principal stepped out, A carried out the attack with a knife he had prepared in advance.
Survey Shows 1 in 5 Teachers Experienced Physical Threats
Teachers' experiences on the ground are confirmed by statistics. According to the "2024 Teacher Mental Health Survey" released by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) on January 15, 20.6% of 1,964 surveyed teachers reported experiencing physical threats or violence from students or parents—up 1.8 percentage points from 18.8% the previous year.
Verbal abuse was reported by 68.1% of respondents. Sexual harassment and unwanted sexual attention were reported at 15.8% and 15.5%, respectively, with students identified as perpetrators in 64.5% of sexual harassment cases and 71.1% of unwanted sexual attention cases.
"The rate of violence experienced by teachers is overwhelmingly higher compared to general workers," the KTU noted. According to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, only 3-6% of all workers experience verbal abuse, 0.5% experience physical threats, and 0.4% experience sexual harassment.
The union added that "compared to the 2023 survey, violence against teachers has not decreased."
Female Teachers Face Higher Rates of Abuse
Gender disparities were also evident, with female teachers reporting higher rates of victimization across all categories.
While 53.3% of male teachers reported experiencing verbal abuse, the figure was 70.9% for female teachers. Physical threats were reported by 16.0% of male teachers compared to 21.5% of female teachers. Sexual harassment and unwanted sexual attention rates among female teachers were 17.0% and 16.7%, respectively—approximately double the rates for male teachers (9.5% and 9.2%).
Education experts point out that these trends represent a structural problem rather than isolated incidents. They argue that the erosion of authority in classrooms combined with institutional limitations in response mechanisms is fundamentally threatening teacher safety.
Education Groups Demand Strict Legal Action
The education sector has characterized this incident as a "serious crime" beyond simple infringement of teachers' rights and is calling for a strong response.
"It is devastating that violent crimes against teachers continue to occur," the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) stated. "The top priority must be protecting and supporting the recovery of the victimized teacher, while the perpetrating student must face thorough investigation and strict legal accountability."
The South Chungcheong Teachers' Union stated that "this incident is a serious crime that threatened a life, demonstrating that the education activity protection system is not functioning properly on the ground" and noted that "the structure where authorities cannot intervene despite recognizing danger keeps repeating."
The union emphasized that "punishment should not be weakened simply because the perpetrator is a student" and that "investigative and judicial authorities must conduct rigorous investigation and impose strict punishment."
Calls for institutional reform followed. KFTA Chairman Kang Ju-ho argued that "the structure where assaulting a teacher leaves no record in the student's file is problematic" and that "legislation is needed to require recording serious infringements of teachers' rights in student records."
