25.08.11.Today News : Middle School Korean wrestling Coach Faces Backlash for Shovel Assault

Middle School Korean wrestling Coach Faces Backlash for Shovel Assault

• Victim Attempted Suicide; Education Authorities Criticized for Cover-up and Negligence

A Korean wrestling coach at a middle school in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, severely injured a student by striking his head with a shovel. The incident was concealed for two months, and the victim attempted suicide but was saved by family members. The education authorities are also under scrutiny for their inadequate initial response.

A middle school coach assaulted a student with a shovel, and the victim attempted suicide.

On June 5, Coach B of a middle school Korean wrestling team in Sangju struck a 15-year-old student, A, on the head with a shovel, causing a deep wound requiring stitches. Coach B lied to the student’s parents, claiming the injury was caused by hitting a sink. The incident was hidden for approximately two months.

The abuse continued, and on July 28, A sent a farewell message to his family before attempting to jump from the 14th floor of an apartment building. His father intervened in time to save him.

The school claimed to have no knowledge of the assault or medical treatment, stating there was no report or insurance claim filed by the coach. However, doubts were raised over this explanation, especially given the presence of a dedicated sports supervisor who failed to notice such a severe injury.

When A’s parents reported the abuse to the North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education’s Wee Center, they were told to wait due to other ongoing cases. The office’s school violence division chief stated that the facts had not yet been confirmed and classified the case as minor, sparking public outrage over the trivialization of a serious assault involving a shovel.

While acquaintances of Coach B claimed A had talent but poor training attitude, child rights experts and civic groups have classified the act as clear child abuse under the Criminal Act (Article 257) and the Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes.

Experts also criticized the education authority’s poor initial response as a possible violation of the duty of fidelity, negligence, and failure to protect the victim under the Act on the Prevention and Countermeasures against School Violence.

A child rights specialist emphasized, “Using a shovel to assault a child is a serious crime. Both the perpetrator and those who concealed or mishandled the case should face criminal and administrative sanctions.”

One-line summary : Sangju middle school Korean wrestling coach assaulted a student with a shovel causing severe injury, concealed the incident, and the victim attempted suicide.