Controversy is escalating after a video clip in which a young female teacher was sexually harassed by a high school student in a classroom in Seoul circulated on the internet on Tuesday.

Some teachers' unions have expressed deep concern over the "decline in teachers' authority," calling for a thorough inquiry into the case and strict disciplinary action for the students involved.

"It is an obvious encroachment of teacher's authority and a sexual harassment. ... This clearly illustrates that the students' respect for and confidence in teachers have been dissipating," the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations said in a statement.

Citizens have also voiced displeasure, saying that strong measures need to be crafted to prevent a repeat of the case.

In the 45-second clip, a second-year high school student, surnamed Kim, put his arm around the shoulders of a part-time music teacher and said, "Can we go out together?" Kim repeatedly harassed the teacher even though she expressed displeasure.

The scene was recorded by another student, surnamed Ryu, with his mobile phone on July 6. Although the teacher told Ryu to delete the recording, he posted it on his homepage with the title, "hitting on a female teacher," the next day.

The video clip started circulating on local major internet portals Tuesday, which deleted it Wednesday upon demand from the high school and the Seoul education office. The high school has decided to bar the two students from taking classes for 10 days.

Some people said that the country's educational system, which makes students focus too much on obtaining high scores to enter top-tier universities rather than personal development, might be a partial cause.

"I was infuriated by the fact that such an unimaginable incident could happen. Education on ethics and morality should be strengthened and teachers also need to project a strong image so that students dare not challenge them," said Joo Sung-joon, a 30-year-old office worker in Seoul.

Some teachers said that the case reflects the waning confidence in public education, which has resulted students and parents to disresping teachers.

"The overriding concern for parents is whether their children can enter top-ranking universities. Thus, they rely more on private institutes, which has led to the declining authority of the teachers at public schools," said Won Gyu-wang, a high-school English teacher in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

"These days, parents give less respect to teachers at schools, which has greatly influenced students. Many teachers want to establish friendly relationships with students, but they appear to become more impolite to teachers."

Some others say strong measures must be drafted to deter students from becoming ill-mannered.

"Strong and effective administrative measures need to be put in place to prevent a repeat of the case. An atmosphere where a student will be held accountable for bad behavior towards a teacher should be forged," said Lee Jung-jae, a high-school English teacher in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

According to recent data from the KFTA, the number of cases in which teachers' authority was infringed upon has steadily increased. The number, which remained at 179, increased to 204 in 2007 and 249 in 2008. As of September this year, 200 cases have been reported, the data showed.

(sshluck@heraldm.com)

By Song Sang-ho

2009.09.11