Webtoon Artist Joo Ho-min Announces Temporary Hiatus Following Acquittal of Teacher Accused of Abusing His Autistic Son

Joo Ho-min, a renowned webtoon artist, expressed his heavy heart and announced a temporary break from his activities after a special education teacher, previously charged with emotionally abusing Joo's autistic son, was acquitted in an appeals court. On May 13, Joo shared a brief statement on his YouTube channel's community board regarding the recent ruling. He stated, "Today, there was a ruling in the second trial concerning the emotional child abuse case against our child. The appeals court focused on the legal validity of the evidence rather than addressing whether abuse occurred, leading to a not guilty verdict." Joo acknowledged that while the outcome was not what his family had hoped for, they respect the court's decision. He mentioned that the prosecution is considering whether to appeal, and his family plans to observe the process quietly. Joo also reflected on the difficulty of proving abuse against a child with communication challenges, saying, "I still have not found an answer to how to prove the abuse of a child with disabilities who struggles to express themselves, and my heart remains heavy." He indicated that he would be stepping back to support his family during this time, adding, "Even if I take a break, I will not forget the support and kindness you have shown us, and we will cherish that in our hearts for a long time." The Suwon District Court's appeals panel overturned the initial ruling and acquitted the teacher, who had been accused of making emotionally abusive comments to Joo's son in a special education class in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, in September 2022. The court ruled that the secretly recorded evidence, which was obtained by the child's mother placing a recording device in her son's clothing, could not be used in court as it violated privacy laws regarding undisclosed conversations between individuals.