Education authorities in Gyeonggi Province said Thursday that they have launched an investigation into the death of a kindergarten teacher who came to work despite severe symptoms of the flu and passed away last month when her condition worsened.
It was reported that the teacher's resignation, submitted just days before her death, had not been written by the deceased, as she was in a hospital's intensive care unit, but was done by the kindergarten on her behalf.
The investigation was launched Wednesday, according to the Bucheon Office of Education, under the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education. It concerns circumstances surrounding her death, specifically the potentially problematic letter of resignation and if the document was fabricated.
The deceased, a woman in her 20s, went to work for three days in January after being diagnosed with the influenza B virus, which leads to fever, coughing and headaches and can potentially entail severe complications. Her condition worsened on Jan. 30 and she sought treatment at the ICU, but died on Feb. 14.
Her bereaved family has claimed that her resignation was fabricated, taking issue with the letter being submitted just four days before her death. The letter apparently bore her name and signature, implying that she wished to leave by Feb. 12.
The parents said that the deceased was at the ICU and her condition was severe when the letter was supposed to have been written. They said they heard nothing about the resignation from their daughter or the kindergarten in question.
Such an action could be punished as counterfeit or the alteration of a private document, as stipulated by the Criminal Act.
The kindergarten told OhmyNews, a local online media outlet, that it was a mistake on the part of the kindergarten due to their lack of legal knowledge. According to the institute's lawyer, the father of the deceased told kindergarten officials on Feb. 11 to "take care of it," which the officials mistook for his consent for resignation.
The family of the deceased also revealed some of the last conversations they had in a group chat via KakaoTalk. It showed her saying, "It (work) was so hard. My fever is up again, what's wrong with me? (The fever) is 38 degrees (Celsius)," with the family expressing concerns for her health.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
