[Anchor]

Students at a high school in North Chungcheong Province were smoking when a fire broke out. Under the law, the entire school is designated as a non-smoking zone, but the location where the fire started was reportedly used as a de facto smoking area on campus. Who could have permitted this?

Reporter Cho Min-ki has the story.

[Reporter]

Flames reaching knee-height left walls charred and melted the insulation of an air conditioner outdoor unit's wiring.

The incident occurred during lunch hour on the 23rd of last month at a specialized high school in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, when students were smoking.

The problem is that the space near the school storage room was routinely used like a smoking area.

Students stated that the school principal effectively permitted smoking in that area, having said things like "dispose of cigarette butts properly" during a full school assembly last year.

[Student at School A: They told us to smoke only over there (by the storage room). They said, 'You can smoke, just clean up the trash properly,' so I think students smoked even more.]

[Principal of School A: I didn't say anything unreasonable. Connecting that to mean 'I condoned or encouraged smoking' is really a leap in logic, don't you think?]

This is the main gate of the school where the fire occurred.

While there are signs stating that the area within 50 meters of the entrance is a non-smoking zone, smoking took place openly on campus.

Under the National Health Promotion Act, all elementary, middle, and high schools are non-smoking zones on campus, but the principal himself was reportedly known to have smoked in the area where the fire broke out.

[Principal of School A: I have smoked near the storage room. I used to do it sometimes during class times.]

Perhaps concerned about this fact becoming public at the time of the fire, the principal even reprimanded a student who filmed the scene of the fire.

[Student at School A: I filmed it because I was scared at that moment.]

[Principal of School A: You don't film just because you're scared. Go wait! Go wait in the principal's office!]

The principal also sent text messages to the parent of the student who tipped off SBS, stating, "This isn't good publicity for the school," and "We ask for your wise judgment."

[Student at School A: (Friends kicked doors) and yelled, 'Because of you guys, we can't smoke anymore.' It was a bit scary coming to school.]

According to SBS coverage, the provincial office of education received at least four civil complaints regarding teachers and students smoking on campus at the school since last year, but it was found that no on-site inspections were conducted.

Following the start of reporting, the North Chungcheong Office of Education announced that it would conduct an on-site inspection of the school the next day (the 27th of last month).

(Photo: Yonhap News)

Reported by Cho Min-ki | Video by Lee Sang-hak, Shin Se-eun | Graphics by Kim Ye-ji