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Former Korean baseball team skipper petitions for ex-daughter-in-law's punishment for alleged inappropriate relationship

Published: 04 Dec. 2025, 12:52

A blurred screenshot from CCTV footage shows a female teacher and a student embracing in the lobby of a hotel [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Ryu Joong-il, former manager of the Korean national baseball team, filed a petition with the National Assembly demanding punishment for his former daughter-in-law, who was recently cleared of wrongdoing in a case involving an alleged inappropriate relationship with one of her high school students.

Ryu publicly revealed his identity as the father-in-law of a teacher who was alleged to have slept with one of her students after prosecutors decided not to indict the woman. He expressed frustration over what he believes was a miscarriage of justice.

Ryu submitted a post to the National Assembly’s public petition board, urging legal reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future, according to local outlets including Yonhap News Agency.

“I am the whistle-blower in the case of a teacher who had an inappropriate relationship with a student,” Ryu wrote in the petition. “As a parent, I was deeply disappointed by how Korea’s judicial and educational systems responded.”

He claimed that there was circumstantial evidence suggesting a prolonged inappropriate relationship during the academic term between the teacher and a third-year high school student.

“It was confirmed that my grandson even accompanied them to hotels on several occasions, which caused great emotional pain to our family,” he said.

Ryu added that, despite existing physical evidence and other circumstantial proof, no active investigation was conducted.

Ryu Joong-il, former manager of the Korean national baseball team [NEWS1]

“The district office concluded that it was not abuse, and the high school avoided responsibility, saying the matter was outside its scope,” he said.

He also noted that his former daughter-in-law is now preparing to return to her teaching job, with the education office stating there were no problems with her reinstatement.

“This cannot be dismissed as a mere misunderstanding,” Ryu argued. “A teacher objectifying a student and exposing a young child to such environments must be properly investigated.”

Ryu called for revisions to the Child Welfare Act and more stringent investigative standards to protect students and minors.

The woman at the center of the controversy, a 34-year-old former teacher, was accused by her ex-husband — Ryu’s son — of engaging in sexual activity with a male high school student between August 2023 and January 2024. She is also accused of bringing her one-year-old son to hotels in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon during this period.

A blurred screenshot from CCTV footage shows a female teacher and a student getting off of a hotel elevator [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The ex-husband submitted several pieces of documentation to investigators, including CCTV footage showing the teacher and student embracing and kissing in hotel lobbies and restaurants, hotel booking records, costume purchase receipts and a DNA analysis from a private firm.

However, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office ruled on Nov. 14 that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute. While they acknowledged circumstantial grounds for suspicion, they concluded that there was no proof the relationship became sexual before the student turned 18 in September 2023. The child abuse allegation was also dropped.

Ryu’s son filed an appeal with prosecutors on Wednesday.

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 KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]