The Korean media have been paying vastly more attention to cases of bullying, violence, and suicide in schools following the shocking bullying-suicide case in Daegu recently. The massive uptick in attention is similar to the surge in attention to earthquakes after the Japanese tsunami disaster, and seems to be actually leading to effective action.

Original article in Korean is at this link.

A school in Daejeon is in a state of panic after two female classmates committed suciide within 40 days of each other.

On the afternoon of the 16th student A was found dead in her first floor apartment, and in December student B committed suicide by jumping. The atmosphere in the school is one of complete schock.

The principal and vice-principal of the school and over 10 teachers announced student A’s death, and opened a school committee to deal with the issue.

In session until 12.20am on the 17th, the committee was unable to cover up its heartache and carefully expressed its opinions in a heavy atmosphere.

One teacher who attended said that “I am so sad… I know it is true but I can’t believe it.”

The teacher added, “student A was a friend of student B and got advice from the same teacher… it seems she was more mentally wounded than anyone.”

Another teacher said that, “I held extra lessons in the morning and after school, but student A would say she had caught a cold and couldn’t come to school… From December 26 to 30 she was receiving counselling at the Daejeon Office of Education and I thought she was going to be okay…” and was unable to finish the statement.

The school announced that in December police investigated 12 students on suspicion of bullying student B.

The school is in a serious situation as the investigation had barely gotten underway before the latest incident.

One teacher at the school said that, “I heard that the police investigation of student B’s jumping death last year had just entered the internal phase… I feel so sad that this incident happened before the investigation of B’s death could even be completed.”

The teacher added that “we need to make sure there is not a third victim… regarding rumors being spread, the school will work hard to protect students.”