Seoul school told students to delete video evidence of teacher assault: report

A high school in southwestern Seoul is facing a backlash after reportedly checking students’ phones and asking them to delete footage of a classmate assaulting a teacher, according to multiple Korean-language media reports on Wednesday.

The assault took place last Thursday at a school in Yangcheon-gu, where a senior student allegedly struck a teacher in the face while holding a smartphone. He was reportedly enraged when the teacher in question scolded him for playing video games with the phone during class.

After the incident, students received a group message warning them against keeping or sharing video footage of the incident. "Possessing footage of the incident that occurred during second period today, distributing or sharing it could cause problems. Do not share it anymore and please erase all of it. The person who first filmed the incident should contact their home teacher," reads the message which was revealed to Korean-language daily DongA Ilbo.

Another message reportedly sent by the school principal told students not to speak to the press, warning that those possessing the video could be punished for invasion of privacy and defamation.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is currently reviewing the incident, and Seoul Yancheon Police Station has reportedly launched an investigation into the matter.

The incident sparked controversy here, as checking students' phone is potentially against the freedom of privacy and freedom of expression stipulated in the Articles 12 and 13 of the Student Human Rights Ordinance of Gyeonggi Province.

The school told local media outlets that the boy who attacked the teacher did not ask the video to be removed. It argued that phone checks had not been conducted forcibly, but under the consent of each student.

The school said that as the students who filmed the incident are in their senior year, being involved in a lawsuit could seriously affect their college admissions status even if they are cleared of charges.