Bucheon police refer parents in Ojeong school recording case to prosecutors
In short
Bucheon Ojeong Police Station referred the parents of a pupil at Ojeong Elementary School to the prosecutors' office (공소청) without detention for alleged violation of the Communications Secrecy Protection Act. They are suspected of recording classes and conversations through a recorder placed in their son's bag, and the father is also suspected of threatening the homeroom teacher. The Gyeonggi education office had designated the case as the first handled by its Teacher Rights Protection Unit.
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Bucheon Ojeong Police Station in Gyeonggi said on the 21st that it had referred the parents of an elementary school pupil, identified as A, to the prosecutors' office (공소청) without detention on suspicion of violating the Communications Secrecy Protection Act. Newsis and Seoul Shinmun reported that the referral took place on the 13th. The case had been designated by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education as the first handled by its Teacher Rights Protection Unit. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The parents are suspected of putting a recorder in A's bag in March to record class content and conversations among other people. A's father is also suspected of making threatening remarks to A's homeroom teacher, identified as B, at the school. Kyunghyang Shinmun said a threat charge was added for the father. Yonhap noted that the law punishes anyone who records or listens to conversations between others that are not public. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
According to the reports, the dispute began in March when teacher B mediated a quarrel between A and another student. Yonhap said A's parents then filed a complaint, and that they accused B under the child abuse punishment law and held a picket protest in front of the school. Seoul Shinmun said the parents objected to B's way of guiding pupils and later also brought a civil suit against the teacher. [ 1 , 4 ]
Police sent B's case to the prosecutors' office with an opinion that there were no grounds for charges, and the office decided not to prosecute, according to Newsis and Kyunghyang Shinmun. Yonhap and Seoul Shinmun said the Teacher Rights Protection Committee recognised the parents' conduct as an infringement of educational activities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The education office filed a complaint against A's parents in August. Yonhap said the complaint named threats and violation of the Communications Secrecy Protection Act. Seoul Shinmun said Superintendent Ahn Min-seok (안민석) held a press conference on 10 August and submitted the complaint in person at Ojeong police station, and that the parents had by then withdrawn their criminal complaint against the teacher. According to the same report, the office went ahead on the view that responsibility for infringing teachers' rights had to be pursued, and supported the teacher with a lawyer during the investigation. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Police secured the recorder, carried out digital forensics and questioned those involved before the referral, the outlets reported. A police official told Yonhap that not all charges named in the complaint were referred and that details could not be disclosed. Seoul Shinmun likewise reported that police did not say which charges were left out. Kyunghyang Shinmun quoted the official as confirming the referral but declining to give details of the investigation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The referral follows a complaint filed by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education against the parents. Police said not every charge in that complaint was referred, so the scope of the case remains partly undisclosed.
Key facts
- Bucheon Ojeong Police Station said on the 21st that it had referred the parents of a pupil, identified as A, to the prosecutors' office (공소청) without detention for alleged violation of the Communications Secrecy Protection Act. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Newsis and Seoul Shinmun reported that the referral took place on the 13th. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The parents are suspected of putting a recorder in A's bag in March to record class content and conversations among other people. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- A's father is also suspected of making threatening remarks to homeroom teacher B at the school. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The parents had filed a child abuse complaint against teacher B, who received a non-prosecution decision from the prosecutors' office. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education designated the case as the first handled by its Teacher Rights Protection Unit and filed a complaint against the parents in August. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- A police official said not all charges named in the complaint were referred and that details could not be disclosed. [ 1 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Bucheon Ojeong Police Station referred A's parents to the prosecutors' office without detention on suspicion of violating the Communications Secrecy Protection Act. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The parents are suspected of recording class content and conversations among others with a recorder placed in A's bag in March. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- A's father is suspected of making threatening remarks to teacher B at the school. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The prosecutors' office decided not to prosecute teacher B on the child abuse allegation filed by A's parents. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education designated the case as the first of its Teacher Rights Protection Unit and filed a complaint against the parents in August. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Which charges from the education office's complaint were not referred to prosecutors. A police official said not all charges in the complaint were referred and declined to give details (Yonhap, Seoul Shinmun).
- Whether the parents withdrew their criminal complaint against the teacher before the education office filed its complaint. Only Seoul Shinmun says the parents withdrew the complaint at the time; the other documents do not mention a withdrawal.
- Whether the referral date was the 13th or the 21st. Newsis and Seoul Shinmun give the 13th as the referral date, while Yonhap and Kyunghyang Shinmun report only that police announced it on the 21st.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap publishes the report that police referred A's parents to the prosecutors' office. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes its report on the referral, saying the parents were referred on the 13th. [ 2 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes its report on the referral. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Shinmun publishes its report on the 22nd, citing Bucheon Ojeong Police Station. [ 4 ]