Why Korea's parenting icon faces blame for recent surge in teacher assaults

Dr. Oh Eun-young has risen to prominence as a South Korean TV personality in recent years thanks to her medical assessments and advice on parenting and mental health, captivating audiences still concerned about seeking psychiatric help due to the social stigma surrounding such treatments.

The star psychiatrist, however, has recently found herself at the center of controversy, with some internet users and teachers blaming her that teachers are becoming more powerless because of Oh's parenting advice.

Sparked by the apparent suicide of an elementary teacher earlier this month in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, debates have raged on both public and political levels over whether there should be more legal measures for teachers to protect themselves from so-called "monster parents" and unruly children.

“Over time, Oh Eun-young’s parenting tips have become something like a ‘parenting bible,’ where every child has to be understood and loved unconditionally,” read a post uploaded by an user claiming to be a teacher with nearly 10 years of experience.

“According to Oh’s words, anything that interferes with a child’s happiness, their feelings of security and/or healthy development is considered abuse. She may not have meant it that way, but that’s at least how parents understood it.”

The teacher continued, “Every time a teacher tries to get a child to do something they don’t want to do, make children compromise after a fight or make children reflect on their misbehavior, this is considered abuse by some parents. It’s amazing how one expert’s opinion can become something so widely believed, almost like a religion.”

Oh became famous after appearing on several weekly television programs centered around parenting advice to help correct children's abnormal behaviors and help them become healthy members of the community.

Through these platforms, Oh had promoted a “no punishment” approach, which is a form of discipline that centers on empathizing with children by understanding their emotions and thoughts while avoiding physical punishment and yelling at them.

Starting with SBS’ consulting program, “Our Children Have Changed,” which first aired in 2005, Oh continued to build her TV career by hosting Channel A’s “My Golden Kids,” which became more popular than her previous program. On “My Golden Kids,” Oh observes the behavior of children and provides tips -- also known as “solutions” in the show -- to better parent them. At the end of each episode, the children no longer misbehave, and the viewers and parents are provided with a better understanding of why the children behaved the way they did.

However, Oh’s discipline methods have been criticized for misleading parents, according to some online users.

Some comments left on Oh's Instagram read, “Thanks to you, there are only problematic children in the classroom.” and “Come teach at an elementary school for just a week. Your ‘solution’ to disciplining children will change. You are most responsible for making the classroom environment the way it is today.”

Oh responded to the criticism in an interview with 10 Asia, saying that “My Golden Kids” isn’t just a program to show how much a child can change after displaying problematic behavior, but that "it is a program where parents who feel lost can discuss their concerns and talk about their future.”

As for the comments made regarding her “no punishment" approach, she explained that “no punishment” does not mean “no discipline.”

“I talked about this discipline method back in 2005 when I was on “Our Children Have Changed,” back when parents hit their children more to discipline them rather than explaining to them what the problem was. I always emphasize that adults should always discipline children if they do something wrong, but not hit them.”

On her definition of discipline, she said it is “to teach what’s right and wrong and to teach patience and self-control.”

“Through my discipline method, I do not mean to say that children should be able to do whatever they want,” emphasized Oh. “Parents should merely try to empathize with their child by trying to understand their problems and familiarizing themselves with their difficulties."

Oh is also an author of several bestsellers on parenting tips, and she runs her own psychopedagogy practice in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Although Oh does not conduct any therapy sessions herself, in 2022, therapy appointments at the clinic operating under her name were fully booked until October. A 30-minute therapy session for children and adults was available for up to 180,000 won ($141), according to the clinic.