

By Kim Jae-heun







Two middle school students have been suspended after one hit his teacher in the back of the head because the other offered him 20,000 won ($17) to do so.







According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), Wednesday, the incident occurred at a middle school in Seongbuk-gu, northeastern Seoul, during science class.







Later on, the student confessed that his friend actually offered him 20,000 won to strike his homeroom teacher but he was afraid, so he decided instead to target the young, female teacher.







The school immediately held a disciplinary committee and punished the two students by suspending them for 10 days. By enforcement ordinance, it is the highest level of punishment that a middle school can hand down to a student. The restriction on expulsion is due to middle school education being compulsory for all adolescents.







The school also readjusted the classes so the teacher would not teach the students in question after they returned to school. She took sick leave to recover from the shock of the incident.







Regarding the case, an official at the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations said it showed teachers' authority has been damaged. "We need a comprehensive measure, for not only amending the legal system but also creating a culture where teachers are respected," he said.

