In relation to the incident in Daejeon where an elementary school student was stabbed to death by a weapon wielded by a teacher, both the ruling and opposition parties emphasized on the 11th that a thorough investigation must be conducted and preventive measures must be established. The National Assembly Education Committee will hold an emergency inquiry on the 18th.
Kim Dae-sik, the spokesman for the People Power Party, released a statement that day saying, "I express deep condolences for the life lost and offer heartfelt comfort to the bereaved families."
He continued, "Schools should be the safest places for children, yet it is devastating that an elementary school student, who should be nurturing their dreams, was sacrificed in school without protection," and noted, "I feel deep responsibility in that South Korean society failed to protect children."
He also stated, "The truth behind the accident must be thoroughly investigated," stressing that the circumstances before and after the incident, issues with management systems, and the appropriateness of actions taken by the education authorities need to be examined. He urged the education authorities to conduct a comprehensive review of the safety management system in schools and to establish improvement measures to ensure safety, emphasizing, "Above all, fundamental measures are necessary to prevent such tragedies from happening again."
An Gwi-ryeong, the Spokesperson for the Democratic Party, also expressed through a statement that day, "It is shocking that a student at such a young age was brutally sacrificed in what should be the safest place, the school," and said, "I hope that the investigative agencies and related organizations keep in mind that this is a matter of trust in schools."
The Spokesperson noted, "Schools must be the safest places where our children can be protected," urging the education authorities to establish measures to prevent recurrence, and called on the police to impose severe punishment on the teacher who confessed to the allegations.
The National Assembly Education Committee is expected to conduct an emergency inquiry related to the incident on the 18th. A source from the committee's office said, "We intended to hold it this week, but by agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, it was decided to conduct the emergency inquiry on the 18th." It is anticipated that during the inquiry, relevant officials from the Ministry of Education, including Minister Lee Joo-ho, as well as officials from the school and Daejeon Education Office will be summoned to understand the circumstances of the incident. Additionally, discussions on prevention measures and the teacher management system are expected to take place.
Meanwhile, on the previous day, an incident occurred in a Daejeon elementary school where an elementary school student, identified as A, was stabbed to death by a 40-something caregiving teacher, B. A was urgently transported to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to her injuries. B was found to have returned to work early after sick leave due to symptoms of depression.