Nearly 8 in 10 school violence cases face only mild penalties: report

Seoul, October 12 - A lawmaker has highlighted the prevalence of school violence cases that receive minimal penalties, citing data from the education ministry. Between 2024 and August this year, there have been 490 instances of such violence reviewed by school disciplinary committees. Out of these, 1,232 students were involved, and 1,523 disciplinary measures were taken against them.

However, 77.7 percent of these measures are considered light, leaving no official records of the incidents or their punishment. Light penalties include written apologies and orders to distance themselves from victims. Suspensions and school transfers accounted for less than 10 percent of the measures, with only 193 taken. The report coincides with the rise of the yacha rule, where victims are coerced into physical fights under the guise of mutual agreement.

Rep. Han Byung-do of the ruling Democratic Party emphasized the need for clear guidelines to identify coercion disguised as consent, such as organizing, watching, filming, or circulating videos of these fights. Police have warned that the yacha rule is a crime regardless of mutual consent, even if a written agreement is present.