South Korean Supreme Court upholds fine for teacher in child abuse case

The Supreme Court of Korea has finalized a ruling against an elementary school teacher in Busan for emotional child abuse. The teacher was found guilty of repeatedly belittling a nine-year-old student in front of classmates with remarks such as, “How can you be so bad at studying?” and “I am stressed because of you.”

The case involved a significant legal question regarding evidence. While the court ruled that an audio recording placed in the child's bag by a parent was inadmissible under the Protection of Communications Secrets Act, it determined that other evidence—including the consistent testimonies of the child and parent, as well as the student's diary—was sufficient to prove the abuse.

Although the initial sentence included a suspended prison term, the appellate court reduced the penalty to a 5-million-won fine and 40 hours of child abuse treatment, citing the teacher's 23-year career. The Supreme Court dismissed the final appeal, upholding the reduced sentence.