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Prosecutors drop case against teacher accused of sexually abusing student

Published: 25 Nov. 2025, 09:04

CCTV footage shows a former teacher and her high school student together, along with the teacher's young son. [YONHAP]

Prosecutors have dismissed charges against a former teacher accused by her ex-husband of sexually abusing a high school student. The woman was also accused of child abuse for allegedly taking her one-year-old son to meetings with the student, but prosecutors found no grounds for either charge.

The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office decided not to indict the 34-year-old former teacher on Nov. 14, citing insufficient evidence regarding violations of the Child Welfare Act and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes.

She was reported by her ex-husband for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with the high school student at hotels in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon between August 2023 and January 2024, and for bringing her son along with her.

Her ex-husband submitted CCTV footage showing the two hugging and kissing in hotel lobbies and restaurants, along with multiple hotel reservations. He also claimed a significant DNA match between cigarette butts collected near the student’s residence and a costume purchased by the former teacher, based on analysis conducted by a private firm.

During the investigation, the suspect denied any physical contact or romantic relationship with the student beyond hugs and kisses. She also said she never stayed overnight with the student.

Prosecutors acknowledged suspicious circumstances surrounding the relationship but said there was not enough evidence to prove any sexual acts occurred before September 2023, when the student turned 18.

CCTV footage shows a former teacher and her high school student kissing and hugging at a hotel lobby. [YONHAP]

A forensic analysis of the suspect’s phone revealed that most conversations with the student had been deleted, and no evidence supporting child abuse allegations emerged from testimony or other findings. The student refused to submit a DNA sample, and a court denied prosecutors’ request for forced collection, making further verification difficult.

The suspect later lost a divorce suit filed by her ex-husband. A court ordered her and the student to pay 70 million won ($47,000) and 10 million won, respectively, in damages to the ex-husband. However, prosecutors said that regardless of the civil court’s findings, without specific evidence of sexual abuse, they could not pursue charges. The child abuse allegations were also dropped.

Speaking to Yonhap News, the ex-husband said he was told by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education that the suspect could return to teaching if cleared of charges. “If this kind of behavior ends in a not-guilty verdict, Korea’s education system will collapse,” he said.

He plans to appeal the prosecutors’ decision.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]