The Fact of School Violence in Korea

Hello，everyone! We areCreatrip, a group of Korean travel experts.

Today, I want to share some news with you that is being a huge issue in Korea. 

It’s Korean culture time!

Today, I want to talk about the thing that is a bit scary and cruel.

It is about the school violence in Korea.

@ OCN <Save Me>

The brutal school violence of Korean teenagers often screened in Korean movies and dramas.

And sometimes, stories of school violence victim are often debated on the Internet and the news.

We can heard of the news that victims  commit suicide because of the pain.

@ Yonhap News

It was just yesterday that some people came up with the suspicion that 'Hyorin' has used violence against classmates 10 years ago.

She is member of the famous idol group 'Sistar,' and some says that she bullied her classmate when she was a middle schooler.

They say that she hit the classmate with a microphone in a karaoke room, 

borrowed their cloth and not returning it for more than a week,

took money, 

or beat them in a playground or classroom.

@MK Sports

I hope that the rumor is not true!

Now, this is scarier.

This was the most controversial case of school violence in 2018,

and it is called [Busan Teen Girl Attack].

Let me summarize the case.

@ Yonhap News

In September, two middle school girls in Busan assaulted a girl from another school 

for two hours in steel bars and chairs. 

And the perpetrators, who then became afraid of the latter days, 

called the police and turn themselves in.

The perpetrators told the police that they assaulted the victim because her bad attitudes.

@ Yonhap News

In order to know why the perpetrators turned themselves in, we need to understand what Korean youth are thinking.

In Korea, we think that adolescents are immature unlike adults, that if you educate them well, there is a possibility of them to be changed and become a good adult.

So we have this law called 'Juvenile law' that if a juvenile commits crime, it reduces the sentence for crime.

This is why the perpetrators turn themselves in. They were trusting the juvenile law, and knew that they will not be punished harshly. 

@ Facebook of the victim's parent

After the incident, the victim's mother reported to the press that the victim was actually assaulted by five perpetrators, not two, and even after reporting to the police, they did not protected that she was again revenged by the assailants.

@ Newsis

Eventually, according to a late investigation by the police, the assailants were four, 

and four of them assault victims with ladders, bricks and  soju bottles.

It also turns out that the perpetrator even threatened the victim to have sex with a guy when they call him.

In the past, school violence was simply "physical violence." Hitting and taking their belongings.

Now, it is changing to 'mental violence' which gives insult and shame.

In recent years, there are even a cyber-school violence using smartphones.

@ https://www.pressm.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=8858

There is also a "Kakao Talk Jail" where the assailants keep inviting the victim and bullying even if they exit the chat.

'Kakato Talk Bullying' happens in the group chat room, where many people swear or slander against one person.

There is also a "Wi-Fi shuttle," who should turn on the hot spot so that the other(assailants) can use free data. 

The word  "방폭(room explosion)" stands for many people leaving the chat room together except one person after insulting her/him as a group.

Physical violence leaves a mark or scar on the surface, that it is easy to tell that you are abused.

However, cyber-bullying is difficult to be noticed unless the victim speaks about it.

As the school violence is getting evolved, school violence in cyberspace has becoming more subtle.

However, students who have been victimized often act passively or leave the situation without informing their parents, teachers, and police.

Because they are worried about their parents being worried,

or being revenged like the girl from the busan teen girl attack,

or being on the public.

Therefore, I believe that schools should educate for those who are abused at school get a courage and speak up about the violence they were subjected to.

It also seems necessary that not only for victims but for the surrounding friends, teachers, and parents to be educated so that they can report to the teacher or the police when they witness school violence.

I hope that friends who get hurt by school violence gradually disappear,

 and friendship among school friends to be dipper.