In an incident that has stunned the country, a teacher in South Korea fatally stabbed an eight-year-old child at an elementary school.
According to authorities, the 40-year-old female teacher admitted to stabbing the pupil in Daejeon, the city’s centre.
At 18:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Monday, the girl was discovered on the second story of a school building with stab wounds. The doctors declared her dead.
According to the authorities, the teacher who was next to her may have self-inflicted the stab wounds.
Choi Sang-mok, the acting president of South Korea, called on authorities to “implement necessary measures to ensure such incidents never happen again” and requested an investigation into the issue on Tuesday.
At the gate of the school, which was closed on Tuesday, several residents placed flowers and a plush toy.
According to the Daejeon education office, the teacher returned to class barely 20 days after a doctor determined she was fit to work, despite having filed a six-month leave of absence on December 9th, claiming depression.
According to authorities, she had no relationship with the pupil.
They said that the instructor had engaged in violent behaviour, including placing another teacher in a headlock, days before the stabbing.
On Monday, the morning following the stabbing, two education office representatives came to the school to look into the dispute.
After the bus driver notified the school that the student had not shown up to be picked up that day, the student was reported missing on Monday night.
Additionally, police stated that once the instructor recovers from her operation, they will continue questioning her.
The education administration suggested that the instructor be placed on leave and physically segregated from the other teacher following the assault on the coworker.
In order to monitor her closely, she was forced to sit next to the vice principal’s desk.
According to the official, she had not been teaching any classes since taking a leave of absence in December and had not communicated with the eight-year-old student.
With stringent gun control legislation, South Korea is a largely safe nation.
After the bus driver notified the school that the student had not shown up to be picked up that day, the student was reported missing on Monday night.
Additionally, police stated that once the instructor recovers from her operation, they will continue questioning her.
The education administration suggested that the instructor be placed on leave and physically segregated from the other teacher following the assault on the coworker.
In order to monitor her closely, she was forced to sit next to the vice principal’s desk.
According to the official, she had not been teaching any classes since taking a leave of absence in December and had not communicated with the eight-year-old student.
With stringent gun control legislation, South Korea is a largely safe nation.
However, in recent years, it has grappled with several high-profile crimes, including stabbings.
“It pains me to see such an incident because a school should be our safest space,” said acting president Choi. “I offer my deep condolences to the victim’s family, who suffered great shock and agony.”
