NAJU — Educational authorities and local civic organizations are demanding sweeping reforms following the exposure of a prolonged bullying ring at a middle school in South Jeolla Province. Investigations revealed that a student subjected multiple peers to physical assault, forced ranking systems, and coordinated fights over a period of months.

According to regional educational officials, the investigation began after a second-year student—identified as "Student A"—was reported for allegedly choking a classmate using sportswear. Subsequent school-wide investigations expanded the scope of the case, bringing the total number of recognized victims to seven.

Testimony from affected students describes a toxic environment in which the perpetrator enforced strict internal hierarchies, demanded menial errands, and even compelled peers to fight one another. A significant portion of the abuse reportedly took place within the school's residential dormitory, leaving victims with little refuge even after regular class hours.

In response to the crisis, school administrators suspended the perpetrator and separated him from the student body. Law enforcement agencies have also launched a formal criminal investigation into charges of assault and coercion.

Beyond the immediate bullying, inspectors discovered compounding administrative violations. Investigators found that the middle school had been housing students in a dormitory facility belonging to an affiliated high school without proper legal authorization or reporting to the provincial education office. All resident students have since been removed from the facility.

Local advocacy groups, including the Civic Association for a Society without Academic Backgrounds, have connected the physical abuse to intense academic pressures. They argue that the school's aggressive focus on entrance-exam preparation—featuring mandatory night study sessions extending past 9:00 PM and cash scholarship incentives tied strictly to test rankings—fostered an unhealthy culture of hyper-competition and social stratification.

The Metropolitan Office of Education announced plans to convene a school violence disciplinary committee and launch a full-scale audit examining both the school's administrative oversight and its academic programs.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]