In a country renowned for its fierce academic competition, South Korean teachers now face escalating risks—not solely from the pressures of high-stakes exams, but from a growing wave of verbal abuse, threats, and even violence by parents and students. This troubling trend is triggering a surge in teacher resignations and mental health crises, shaking the foundations of public education.

Rising Resignations and Reports of Abuse

Recent data paints a stark picture:

• Nearly 589 teachers with less than five years of experience left the profession between March 2022 and April 2023—a nearly twofold increase from the 303 resignations recorded in 2021. A leading cause: false child-abuse allegations and harassment by parents koreaherald.com+9asianews.network+9bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu+9.

• Between 2018 and 2022, the Ministry of Education reported 1,133 cases of teachers being harassed or accused under the child-abuse law by parents .

• Schools are not immune to student aggression either: physical assaults—like a third-grader kicking a Gyeonggi teacher—are prompting questions about classroom safety koreaherald.com+7koreajoongangdaily.joins.com+7scmp.com+7.

• Public protests over teacher suicides and abuse complaints have attracted tens of thousands of teachers to the streets — at one point, around 20,000 educators rallied near the National Assembly in a demand for legal protection theowp.org+4voanews.com+4apnews.com+4.

The Toll on Teachers and Classrooms

The emotional and psychological strain is profound:

1. Up to 63.2% of teachers reported symptoms of depression, and 16% have considered suicide, according to a Korean Teachers’ Union survey koreajoongangdaily.joins.com+11mtpr.org+11bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu+11.

2. Hundreds of educators have resigned prematurely, with some citing false child-abuse claims by parents as their breaking point theowp.org+2asianews.network+2scholarworks.bgsu.edu+2.

3. A tragic result: between January 2018 and June 2023, approximately 100 public school teachers died by suicide, often after prolonged harassment and pressure theowp.org+2channelnewsasia.com+2bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu+2. 

Understanding the Roots

Several factors fuel this crisis:

1. Legal loopholes: Since 2014, vague child-abuse laws allow easy accusations based on suspicion—leading to automatic suspensions and undue stress for teachers .

2. Hyper-competitive education culture: With the fatalistic importance of college entrance exams, parents are increasingly intense, often viewing schools as service providers koreaherald.com+9asianews.network+9apnews.com+9.

3. Decline in teacher authority: With discipline curbed and teacher roles undermined, some parents exploit policies or even use false claims as leverage asianews.network.

Toward Solutions

While public outcry has prompted legal reform (e.g., expanding teacher protections and curbing false allegations), teachers argue that structural changes are needed koreaherald.com+4theowp.org+4koreajoongangdaily.joins.com+4:

• Strengthened legal protection and enforcement against false claims.

• Clearer school administrative systems for handling complaints.

• Improved mental health support and counseling for teachers.

• A cultural shift toward respectful collaboration between parents and educators.

Conclusion

South Korea’s teachers are exhausted—victims not just of harsh curricula, but of a growing wave of intimidation and distrust. Rapid increases in suicides, resignations, and abuse reports are warning signs that cannot be ignored. Addressing this crisis requires legal, cultural, and structural reforms, as well as a shared recognition that teachers deserve respect and safety in the classrooms they serve. Only by rebuilding trust can Korean education return to being a space of growth instead of fear.