Seoul: Acting President and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho on Monday expressed his condolences over the death of a Jeju Island middle school teacher last week, vowing to devise measures to protect teachers' educational activities. Lee made the remarks during a lunch meeting with senior figures in the educational community in Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the teacher in his 40s was found dead on the campus of a middle school on the southern island of Jeju on May 22, prompting a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. A suicide note was found in his office, and it reportedly says that he had suffered from conflict with a student's family. The bereaved family reportedly testified that the teacher had recently been under extreme stress due to continuous complaints from the student's family to the point where he could not even eat properly.
Lee said at the meeting that the nation's education sector still faces many problems and it is time to actively respond to the new, rapidly changing environment. "Many of the challenges we face today will eventually be resolved through the power of education," he said.