High School Incident Sparks Controversy Over Video Deletion and Privacy Violations

A recent incident at a high school in Seoul has raised significant concerns after a male senior student assaulted a female teacher during class. Following the event, the school administration reportedly pressured students who recorded the incident to delete the footage and even conducted phone checks. On April 16, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education revealed that the school instructed students to refrain from sharing or possessing the video, warning them that such actions could lead to legal repercussions for privacy violations and defamation. The school emphasized that students with the video should have their phones checked by the head of the safety department before leaving school.

Critics argue that the video, which serves a public interest in protecting teacher rights, should not be subject to criminal penalties. Furthermore, the act of inspecting students' personal phones has been criticized as a violation of the Gyeonggi Province Student Rights Ordinance, which protects privacy and freedom of expression. A school representative clarified that the request to delete the video did not come from the perpetrator's side but was a decision made by the school itself. They expressed concern that even if the students were ultimately cleared of wrongdoing, any potential legal issues could adversely affect their college admissions.

The incident occurred on April 10, when the male student struck the teacher in the face with his phone after being reprimanded for playing games during class. Witnesses reported that the altercation escalated after the teacher addressed the student's behavior.