A private kindergarten teacher in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, died after working while suffering from the flu, and police are expected to open an investigation.
On the 31st, according to the Bucheon Wonmi Police Station and the bereaved family of A, a kindergarten teacher in her 20s who died, the Bucheon Office of Education asked police a day earlier to investigate a private kindergarten in Bucheon on allegations including forgery of private documents.
A was diagnosed with influenza B on Jan. 27 and went to the kindergarten for three days. After that, a fever and vomiting worsened, and A left early in the afternoon on the 30th of the same month. After the flu diagnosis, the body temperature reportedly rose to 39.8 degrees Celsius.
A was treated in a hospital intensive care unit from Jan. 31 but died on Mar. 14.
A's family claims the kindergarten signed A's resignation letter by proxy. In A's voluntary resignation application, which the kindergarten prepared on the 19th of last month, it says "A submitted (the application) on the 10th, and it will be processed as voluntary resignation starting on the 12th," but on the 10th A was in the intensive care unit and therefore could not have written the application personally.
The fact that A had been processed as resigned came to light as the family's Certified Public Labor Attorney checked related details while filing for A's death condolence payment with the Teachers' Pension Service.
There is also controversy over the appropriateness of a letter the kindergarten sent to its management committee members and parents after A's death. The letter included statements that the kindergarten vice principal checked A's health condition or finished the class in place of A, who left early, but questions were raised that there was no teacher holding the position of "vice principal."
A police official said, "We plan to summon the bereaved family tomorrow (Apr. 1) for questioning," adding, "After that, we will also summon kindergarten officials to check the facts and then decide whether to book them."