An Min-seok Declares 'All-out War Against Malicious Complaints': "Teachers, Please Just Teach"

Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education (Superintendent An Min-seok) held a launch ceremony for teacher rights protection officers on the 22nd at Jowon Government Complex and officially announced the nation's first establishment of the teacher rights protection officer system.

The launch ceremony was attended by Superintendent An Min-seok, 300 newly appointed teacher rights protection officers, citizen teacher rights protectors, honorary teacher rights protection officers, as well as students and parents.

The 300 teacher rights protection officers, who completed capacity-building training on the 13th and 18th, took their first decisive steps from this launch ceremony onward, standing as a steadfast shield protecting teachers suffering from teacher rights violations from the beginning to the end of each case.

Congratulatory remarks came from various sectors including Education Minister Choe Kyou-jin, National Education Commission Chair Cha Jung-in, National Assembly Education Committee Chair Kim Hee-jung, members of the National Assembly, Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly members, local government heads, teachers' organizations representatives, and police through video messages, written remarks, and in-person attendance. In the following proceedings, Superintendent An Min-seok presented activity flags to representatives of teacher rights protection officers, citizen teacher rights protectors, and honorary teacher rights protection officers, formally announcing their launch.

Teacher rights protection officers will provide one-on-one dedicated support to teachers facing difficulties from child abuse allegations, serious violations of educational activities, and malicious complaints from the initial stage through case resolution. The dedicated officers will be composed of experts from diverse fields including teachers, residents, lawyers, doctors, counseling professionals, and police, and will provide comprehensive support from fact verification to legal consultation, psychological counseling and recovery, and follow-up management.

Superintendent An Min-seok said in his remarks, "Seeing the intense interest and support for the teacher rights protection officers this time, and as I directly participated in interviews, I realized that you, the teacher rights protection officers, are the true heroes of this age without heroes," and stated, "I will grant you, the heroic teacher rights protection officers, all substantive authority related to the superintendent's teacher rights protection activities."

Superintendent An declared, "I declare today at this venue an all-out war against malicious complaints," and emphasized, "Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education will take groundbreaking measures to relieve teachers from administrative burdens so that they can concentrate solely on instruction and focus only on the work of teaching."

Finally, Superintendent An concluded, "I deeply appreciate everyone coming together and firmly standing with us for teacher rights protection," saying, "Teachers, please just teach. We will protect you."