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Women who don't have children should be jailed, male teacher allegedly tells students

Published: 21 Apr. 2025, 18:08

An empty classroom of a middle school in Daegu [YONHAP]

A male teacher working at a girls' high school was accused of telling students that women who don't have babies should be jailed during a social sciences class, leading to an investigation by the city education office.

A post was uploaded on Sunday on the social media platform X that included a roughly two-minute audio record, which the user claimed was of a teacher at a girls’ high school in Incheon who said during a lesson that women who do not give birth should be sent to prison.

In the recording, the teacher criticized a ruling by the Constitutional Court that made it unconstitutional for the government to give preferential treatment to men who fulfill their military duties, saying, “I believe that’s the worst decision I know of.”

“Men go to prison if they don’t serve in the military, but women have never been imprisoned for not giving birth,” he said.

“Childbirth isn’t considered an obligation," the teacher went on. "Isn’t that why Korea’s fertility rate has dropped to 0.67?

“Women of childbearing age who don’t give birth should be imprisoned if we want equality between men and women.”

The remarks were reportedly made during a class titled “Politics and Law” on Thursday. The comments sparked widespread criticism online, with many questioning the teacher’s qualifications.

The school and the local education office have launched an investigation. The school asked the teacher to submit a written explanation on Sunday and is reviewing whether disciplinary measures are necessary.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]