A teacher in his or her 30s was detained by police after threatening students arriving at a middle school in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, while holding a stun gun.
Police in Gumi said a report came in at about 8:14 a.m. on the 18th that a teacher identified only as A, in his or her 30s, was threatening students at the front gate of a middle school in the city while holding a stun gun.
For about 10 minutes, A shouted remarks such as "I'm going to die today" and "Let's die together" at students on their way to class, according to police. Officers responded to the report and detained A at the scene. No students or teachers were injured.
The school said A had reported for work as usual that morning and headed for the front gate after telling colleagues about going out to supervise students arriving at school.
A had recently been in conflict with fellow teachers over issues including student discipline, according to officials. A had also clashed with colleagues at a previous school but had no record of disciplinary action over work conduct.
Police placed A in emergency hospitalization, judging that A posed a risk of harm to themselves or others. After A is discharged, police plan to determine the circumstances of the incident and also investigate whether A had previously engaged in conduct amounting to emotional abuse of students.
Education authorities, meanwhile, moved to support students' psychological recovery. The Gumi Office of Education dispatched 12 professional counselors to the school and said it would provide round-the-clock one-on-one emergency counseling for the time being to students experiencing high levels of anxiety. Legal steps, including an order barring A from approaching students, are also under review.
The North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education immediately removed A from teaching duties. Once a police investigation begins, the office said it would take necessary measures such as suspension from the post, and would review its overall psychological support system for teachers to draw up measures to prevent a recurrence.
