School Violence at Korean Schools

High school student Park Han-wool says he's been maliciously bullied since elementary
school.

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[Interview : Park Han-wool, Student] "They hit me in the eyes to ruin my eyesight, and at middle school, they hit me without any reason. At high school, they threw chairs at me or would throw my backpack out of the window, and they spread malicious rumors about me, talked behind my back and excluded me from activities. At a school field trip, I was beaten by a group of bullies".

This is not only Park's story.
Last month, a middle school student in the city of Daegu jumped from his apartment building, leaving a suicide note saying that he had been seriously harassed and frequently beaten by his classmates.
Another middle school student in Gwangju also committed suicide in the same month, after being physically and verbally assaulted by school bullies.

[Interview : Park Ji-won jiwonpark@arirang.co.kr] "According to recent data, violence at Korean schools has almost doubled in the past five years".

Experts say school violence has recently become more serious and frequent, partly due to a popular culture that shows a large amount of violence, and competitive school programs that only focus on academic achievements, rather than on well-rounded personality education.

[Interview : Son Jae-hwan, Counselor Korea Youth Counseling Institute] "At Korean schools, only a few students are recognized by their academic results. Most students are neglected at schools. These students' frustrated desires to be recognized turn into aggressive behaviors, targeting the weak and powerless in the group".

Counselor Son Jae-hwan, who spent about 11 years to consulting students, added that to solve the school violence, parents and teachers need to pay closer attention to adolescents.

[Interview : Son Jae-hwan, Counselor Korea Youth Counseling Institute] "Bullies are very self-centered, and they lack a sense of empathy, so they don't understand why others are suffering from their behavior. Conversations at home could help to develop the ability to sympathize with others. Teachers also need to pay more attention to their students". 

While schools and the government try to solve the issue by various measures, Park Han-wool gives advice to those who are bullied at school.

[Interview : Park Han-wool, Student] "Never forget about your dream. I hope those suffering from school violence realize that there are so many good and beautiful things in the world out there, and think about what they can do and what they are good at. I hope they focus on the future, and what kind of dreams they want to achieve in their lives. Helping others is also a very good thing to do. I hope they think about these things more".

Despite the ongoing bullying activities towards him, Park is now actively following his dreams.
He has made various short films on social issues, and about school violence like this one, to become a brave and courageous voice in the society.
Park Ji-won, Arirang News.