In a troubling development regarding the so-called 'Yacharul' bullying incident at a Paju elementary school, it has been reported that both the perpetrator and the victim are still sharing the same classroom. The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education's administrative tribunal recently dismissed a request from the victim's side for separation, raising concerns about the protection measures for the victim.
According to a report by Yonhap News on October 14, during a National Assembly audit of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Democratic Party lawmaker Han Byeong-do highlighted the inadequacy of measures taken against the perpetrator in the Yacharul bullying case that occurred in May at an elementary school in Paju.
“This is a new type of school violence, yet the only measures imposed on the perpetrators were a no-contact order, community service, and mandatory special education,” Han said. “The perpetrators continue to share the classroom with the victim as if nothing happened.”
Yacharul is a slang term that refers to a fight agreed upon by the parties involved, where they promise not to hold each other legally accountable. However, it has been criticized for being misused as a means to coerce weaker students into fighting under the guise of mutual consent.
Earlier in May, it was reported that a second-grade student at a Paju elementary school was repeatedly forced into Yacharul fights and assaulted by classmates and seniors, resulting in injuries.
Han criticized the lack of separation between the perpetrator and the victim, stating, “The fact that they are not separated is simply incomprehensible and chilling.” He added, “The victim's request for separation was dismissed today by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education's administrative tribunal.” Han requested the tribunal's decision document and urged for active consideration of measures to protect the victim.
Gyeonggi Provincial Superintendent Ahn Min-seok acknowledged that he had not yet reviewed the matter, stating, “I will look into this issue very carefully.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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