A court has ruled that it was justifiable to discipline an elementary school principal accused of workplace bullying, including forcing first-year teachers to work overtime and handle building lock-up duties.

The Seoul Administrative Court ruled against the plaintiff, identified as Principal A, who had filed a lawsuit against the Minister of Education seeking to cancel a reprimand.

While a reprimand is the mildest form of disciplinary action, it is recorded in personnel files and can lead to restrictions on promotions.

In 2024, a teacher at a national elementary school in the Daegu region posted an exposé on an online community regarding the school's unreasonable organizational culture.

The teacher stated, "I am experiencing an irrational school culture characterized by surveillance, oppression, and unfair orders," adding, "The hardest part was being instructed that first-year teachers could only leave after all other teachers had gone home."

An investigation by the disciplinary committee revealed that Principal A had instructed teachers, saying, "All first-year teachers must stay late," and "For the time being, work until 9:30 PM, then lock up the building before leaving."

It was further discovered that the principal had mandated a rotation system for tasks such as cleaning and distributing mail, citing it as a tradition for junior staff.

As the controversy grew, the disciplinary committee issued a reprimand to Principal A.

In May of last year, Principal A filed a lawsuit, challenging the disciplinary action.

During the trial, Principal A's side argued that "the statements in question were never made," but the court did not accept this claim.

The court stated, "Those who were present at the time of the remarks in question testified that the principal said it was to 'establish discipline,'" adding that "the statements are highly specific and natural, making them credible."

The court further pointed out, "Principal A used their professional position to coerce first-year teachers into performing overtime work they were not obligated to do, and the principal either condoned or exacerbated the culture of seniority-based abuse."

Principal A has appealed the first-instance ruling.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News