School bullying under spotlight in South Korea

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The issue of school bullying in South Korea has been thrown into the spotlight after a Korean drama exposed the brutal reality many students endure. South Korea is trying to address the problem but for many victims it's too little too late.

Transcript

00:00 As a private eye, Son Hye-yong spends a lot of time on the road and one type of job is

00:07 keeping him busier than usual.

00:10 Usually parents call when there's been a lot of change in their child's behaviour.

00:15 They think that their child might be being bullied at school.

00:18 They contact me to confidentially investigate whether that's true.

00:22 Armed with a long range camera, Son Hye-yong takes up position outside a school,

00:28 capturing evidence without raising suspicion.

00:31 He also has a range of hidden cameras, if the job requires it.

00:37 In the past we only received about one phone call or text message per day regarding school violence,

00:43 but now we are receiving more than two or three calls a day.

00:46 Eight years ago Lee Ge-chul's daughter took her own life after being subjected to relentless physical and psychological bullying.

00:55 The violence committed by students is becoming more cunning and cruel,

01:00 but adults are just shocked and unable to do anything about it.

01:05 For over a decade, suicide has been the leading cause of death in South Korea.

01:09 For people aged between 10 and 39, bullying is often cited as a contributing factor.

01:16 South Korea has ramped up its penalties for perpetrators,

01:20 with schools now required to keep a student's bullying record for four years after graduation,

01:26 meaning it could cost them university placement.

01:29 It's also setting up a dedicated refuge for victims where they can live and continue their studies in safety.

01:37 Shining some light on the dark side of growing up.

01:41 up.

01:41 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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