Home > National > Social Affairs

Former students remember late teacher in Jeju, call for protection against parents' harassment

Published: 26 May. 2025, 21:42

Choi Hyeong-jun, a 17-year-old second-year student at Ohyeon High School in Jeju, speaks at a press conference held on May 26 in Jeju. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Last Thursday, a teacher in his 40s was found dead in his school in Jeju, with a note in which he wrote he was struggling with complaints from students' parents. Days after, on Monday, his students gathered to remember him and plead with society to protect the rights of their teachers.

To one student in particular, the late teacher was like a friend — a father.

“I hope the teacher who left us so suddenly can rest in peace,” said Choi Hyeong-jun, a 17-year-old second-year student at Ohyeon High School in Jeju, at a memorial-slash-press conference held on Monday in Jeju Island to mourn the death of his beloved teacher.

“He was more than a teacher to us. He remembered each and every one of our names — a figure like a friend, like a father," Choi said.

Choi was just one of dozens of messages written to the late teacher, according to the Jeju Teachers Union. The union released 50 letters, all written by students currently in high school who had once studied under the late teacher, during the press conference.

“These letters reflect the deep sincerity and sorrow of his former students,” the union said. “We are sharing these messages in the hope that society will remember the late teacher's dedication and stand in solidarity with his cause.”

A letter written to the late teacher by Choi Hyeong-jun, a 17-year-old second-year student at Ohyeon High School in Jeju [JOONGANG ILBO]

Messages written to a teacher found dead in Jeju on May 22 [JOONGANG ILBO]

In the published letters, one student wrote, “You weren’t just someone who taught facts. At times you were like a parent, at others like a friend — always watching over each of us with care. Your words, telling us we’d be okay and we could do it, still echo in my ears.”

Another student wrote, “We must ensure that tragedies like this never happen again, through a proper investigation and policies that protect teachers’ rights.”

Other messages included, “Thank you for being our teacher,” and “You were not just an educator — you were our support.” One letter, from a former student who is now a teacher, read, “Sixteen years ago, I was a middle school student. Thank you for sharing even a part of the world with me. Please rest in peace.”

During the conference, teachers asked that they be able to protect themselves against extreme demands from parents.

Lee Bo-mi, chair of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, speaks at a press conference held on May 26 in Jeju. [JOONGANG ILBO]

“The teacher’s death stemmed directly from their personal phone number being exposed,” said Lee Bo-mi, chair of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union. “The Ministry of Education has failed to address the root issues in its policies to protect teachers’ rights. This kind of shallow approach has led to tragedies like this.”

Lee added, “Teachers are often the sole point of contact for all complaints, and if their personal number is leaked, they can be contacted by parents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We strongly urge the government to centralize and streamline complaint handling channels.”

The late teacher was found dead in the school building at 12:46 a.m. on Thursday. A note left in the staff room stated that he had been struggling due to complaints from students’ parents.

According to Jeju police, he had received dozens of complaint calls to his personal mobile phone between early March and mid-May.

A memorial altar will remain in front of the Jeju Provincial Office of Education until 8 p.m. on May 30.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI CHOONG-IL [[email protected]]