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This is the first in a two-part series on the reality and causes of students' use of hate speech and experts' advice on how to resolve the problem. — ED.
A Gyeonggi Province teacher, who asked to be identified only by the surname Park, has taught middle and high school students for six years. During that time, hate speech has become a regular part of his classroom, including remarks about the 2009 death of liberal former President Roh Moo-hyun.
“Students often use expressions related to Roh's death in class and some even write such content in their assignments,” Park told The Korea Times. “These kids weren't even born during Roh's time, meaning they don't know much about his policies or failures.”
Cases like Park's reflect a broader pattern emerging in Korean classrooms, where hate speech rooted in far-right online rhetoric has crept into students' everyday language, alarming teachers who say they are increasingly at a loss for how to respond.
