A man in his 60s who enrolled in a high school in the Gyeongnam region has been reported to be experiencing several conflicts, including forcing female students, who are younger than his granddaughter, to call him 'Mango Oppa.' Despite this, he claimed to be a victim by reporting students to the School Violence Committee multiple times.
According to the Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education, the controversial Mr. A, 60, enrolled as a 1st-year student in March this year. The Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education, based on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, allows anyone who has graduated from middle school or passed the GED to enroll in high school and permitted Mr. A's admission following legal consultation with the Ministry of Education. Mr. A reportedly re-enrolled in high school to obtain grades for his personal career path.
Initially, Mr. A did not experience conflicts with teachers or students. Instead, he actively participated in school life, running for the position of representative for all 1st-year students.
However, conflicts soon arose. An anonymous survey of students indicated that Mr. A forced them to call him 'Mango Oppa', and he circulated self-composed songs and poems, appealing for support. It was also claimed that he danced while shaking his hips in front of female students and issued commands such as 'open the window' and 'be quiet.' Allegations were filed with the National Civilian Portal claiming he pressured classmates to call him 'Oppa.' Mr. A also demanded to be referred to as 'Student-nim.'
Moreover, Mr. A reportedly demanded teachers to 'conduct classes in Chinese characters.' During lunch, he repeatedly said loudly, 'Enjoy your meal,' which made students feel uncomfortable. One student reported experiencing 'school violence' from Mr. A to the school.
Despite this, Mr. A reported seven students to the School Violence Committee, claiming to have suffered harm at school. He cited that he was subjected to verbal abuse primarily from classmates. It was noted that one student mentioned in a group chat, 'I would appreciate it if you could adhere to spelling,' which he perceived as 'rude.'
Mr. A also reported to the school that a message he sent to a student he tutored in the past was circulated after his enrollment. That message reportedly contained harsh expressions such as, 'Do you know that despite not contributing anything, you're still trying to harm me?'
Among a total of eight reports related to Mr. A, two were concluded to be unrelated to school violence. Investigations are ongoing for two others, and the remaining four were resolved internally.
The school stated that it has not confirmed any instances where Mr. A was directly subjected to insults or physical violence. It is now reported that students are avoiding Mr. A out of fear.
Mr. A responded to 'JTBC Incident Report,' which covered these issues, saying, 'The report on school violence served as a buffer zone to prevent greater harm. It is not something to be criticized for making many reports.' He added, 'Even when subjected to student harassment, I have never uttered a single curse. It was absurd and exasperating, and as a last resort, I reported it as school violence; the dancing was requested by the female students first.'
Regarding conflicts with students, he said, 'I did not exercise undue authority. Is there evidence?' and remarked, 'A group of girls attempting to stand out fabricated stories.' Mr. A submitted a 16-page response and related evidence totaling 60 pages.
The school and the education office find themselves in a difficult situation. The Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education has no way to prevent Mr. A's enrollment as the right to receive education takes precedence under current regulations. The school reportedly has no appropriate measures to take against Mr. A for now.
It is reported that Mr. A raised various issues to the school and education office in the name of protecting his children even before he became a parent. Once his related matters became known to the public, Mr. A reportedly conveyed his intention to the school, 'I will now strive to reflect on myself and prevent harm to students from occurring.'