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Police request psychological autopsy of teacher after death at school in May

Published: 23 Jul. 2025, 17:14

Mourners pay their respects to a teacher who was found dead in his school on May 22 at a memorial set up on May 24 in Jeju. [YONHAP]

Police have requested a psychological autopsy of a middle school teacher in Jeju who had reportedly been harassed for a prolonged period of time by a student's family before he was found dead in his own school in May.

“We requested a psychological autopsy from the National Forensic Service to clarify the motive behind the teacher’s death," said a Jeju police official on Wednesday.

A psychological autopsy examines the range of factors that may have influenced a person's death by analyzing testimonies from bereaved family members and the personal records left behind. A similar procedure was conducted in the death of a teacher at Seoi Elementary School two years ago.

Police said no criminal suspicion had been uncovered in connection with the death. The Jeju Police Agency has been investigating the case for two months with a 12-member task force led by the Dongbu precinct chief.

On May 22, the teacher — a man in his 40s — was found dead in a storage facility at a middle school in Jeju in the early morning hours. Police found the body after receiving a report from the teacher’s wife, who said she had not been able to reach him.

A note found in the teachers’ office reportedly described the stress caused by conflict with a student’s family. The teacher's family also testified he had been so severely stressed in recent months due to repeated complaints from the student’s family that he was unable to eat properly.

According to the family, the teacher, who was the homeroom teacher for a third-year class, had been dealing with the student since March regarding behaviors such as smoking on campus and irregular attendance.

During this time, the student’s family repeatedly protested the teacher’s guidance. The call log on the teacher’s phone reportedly shows that the student’s family made numerous calls — sometimes more than a dozen times a day — both on weekdays and weekends, from early morning to late at night.

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling, contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]