Sixth-grader's sexually explicit messages to teacher spark concern

Sexually derogatory messages allegedly sent by a sixth-grader to his teacher are fanning controversy online.

The incident was first reported Monday in a post shared on Blind, an anonymous online community. In the now-deleted post, a person who claimed to be the teacher's boyfriend complained that a sixth-grade student had been sending explicit texts to the teacher. Screenshots included in the post showed KakaoTalk messages sent by the student, where the student tells the teacher to “have fun in bed” and calls her names.

The student reportedly has a history of such behavior, in one instance telling the teacher that she “must be good at hooking up with men,” according to the post.

Previous attempts to alert the student’s parents have yielded no resolution.

The case aligns with growing reports of student-on-teacher harassment since in-person classes resumed after pandemic restrictions were lifted. Last year, the Ministry of Education reported 3,035 such complaints, a 2.5-fold increase from 2020.

Coinciding with the trend, 1 in 4 teachers have sought mental health treatment or counseling over the past five years, a May survey conducted by the Korean Federation of Teachers Unions involving 11,377 participants showed.