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Authorities rush to take down video of middle school girl being slapped by bully

Published: 13 May. 2025, 11:14

A video of a middle school student repeatedly slapping her classmate in Songdo, Incheon, in November was uploaded to social media on May 2. Authorities have taken down the original copy and reported clips but footage of the video still remains online. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A video showing a middle school girl repeatedly slapping her classmate uploaded in early May has been taken down, but portions of the footage continue to circulate on social media, prompting fears of ongoing secondary victimization.

The video — titled “Incheon Songdo 2011-born school violence video” (translated) — was uploaded to social media on May 2, showing a student slapping her classmate seven times, according to police on Tuesday.

The footage was filmed in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Yeonsu District, Incheon, last November. In the video, a student slaps her classmate in the face as the victim sobs and counts the number of hits aloud, saying, “One, two.”

The victim pleads for the other student to stop, saying, “I’m sorry. Please stop,” but the slapping continues.

The video, which clearly shows both students’ faces, quickly spread online.

Viewers posted not only the assailant’s name and contact information but also personal details regarding the victim, escalating public concern over privacy violations.

Members from the Blue Tree Foundation campaign for school violence awareness in front of the foundation's offices in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on July 24, 2024. [YONHAP]

The victim did not immediately report the assault. She later filed a complaint with the Incheon Dongbu Office of Education after seeing the video posted online, identifying both the person who slapped her in the video and another student who filmed the incident.

In response, police requested the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) to delete the footage to minimize further harm. Authorities have since taken steps to remove the original and most copies of the video.

However, as of Tuesday, some clips showing both students' faces remain on social media platforms and online forums.

The KCSC can request that platforms take down content deemed illegal or harmful to minors, but only after a review process. Even if the same video is re-uploaded, it is treated as a separate piece of content, requiring a new review.

“A review is conducted based on each individual internet URL, even for duplicate videos,” a KCSC official said. “We’re prioritizing repeated reports to respond as quickly as possible.”

A student climbs up the stairs at a high school in Daegu on Oct. 15, 2024. [NEWS1]

Police are continuing to monitor social media platforms and request takedowns, but acknowledged the difficulty of complete removal.

“We’re doing our best to get the videos removed quickly to protect the emotional well-being of the students, but it’s not easy,” a police official told Yonhap News Agency.

“While punishing those who spread the footage is important, more awareness is needed that posting such content is unacceptable,” the official added.

The Incheon Yeonsu Police Precinct booked the perpetrator without detention on assault charges on Thursday.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]