Gyeonggi-do Education Superintendent-elect Ahn Min-seok has proposed a public debate on establishing a "Teacher Rights Protection Bureau" within the Ministry of Education [1, 2].

The proposal comes as South Korea grapples with escalating school violence and the erosion of teacher authority, issues recently highlighted by popular media. This move suggests a shift toward institutionalizing protections for educators to restore trust within the school community.

Ahn shared his position via Facebook on June 12 [1]. He cited the influence of the Netflix drama "True Education," noting that he watched 10 episodes of the series [1]. While he said the show's violent and exaggerated elements were uncomfortable, he said that he considers the reality of the collapsed function of schools to be a serious matter [1].

The superintendent-elect linked the public's interest in the drama to a deeper systemic crisis. He said there is a clear reason why many teachers and parents are watching the show, and that restoring trust between the school community is the most important task at this time [1].

Ahn is backing a specific policy recommendation from Lee Kyung-ah, a researcher at the Democratic Institute, who proposed the creation of the Teacher Rights Protection Bureau [1]. He said the recovery of teacher rights is an urgent task and that he expects a decision from the Ministry of Education [1].

The proposal seeks to move beyond temporary measures by creating a dedicated administrative body to handle teacher rights violations. This would centralize the response to classroom disruptions and legal challenges faced by educators—a goal Ahn believes is necessary to stabilize the learning environment [1, 2].

“"The recovery of teacher rights is an urgent task."”

The proposal reflects a growing trend in South Korea where cultural exports and media depictions of school dysfunction are driving political discourse on education reform. By calling for a dedicated bureau, Ahn is attempting to transition the conversation from social awareness to structural government change, signaling that current protections for teachers are insufficient to handle the complexities of modern classroom management.