Child abuse allegations at National Assembly day care under investigation
Published: 24 Feb. 2026, 16:02
Updated: 24 Feb. 2026, 16:30
![The National Assembly main building is seen in Yeouido, western Seoul, on July 6, 2024. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/24/dc0a7854-025c-42bb-85ca-2c7ae9462f1a.jpg)
The National Assembly main building is seen in Yeouido, western Seoul, on July 6, 2024. [NEWS1]
Police are investigating allegations of child abuse at a day care center inside the National Assembly, officials said Tuesday.
The Yeongdeungpo Police Precinct in western Seoul began investigating the case after receiving a report last Friday that a teacher at the National Assembly day care center had abused a child, according to the National Assembly officials and police.
The allegation surfaced Friday afternoon when another staff member reportedly witnessed a teacher appearing to assault a child.
The day care director informed the child’s parents, who both work as aides in a lawmaker's office, according to authorities. Both sides reported the case to the police.
Police secured multiple surveillance footage recordings from the facility. The footage reportedly shows the teacher pulling a sleeping child’s hair to wake the child and throwing a mat and blanket. It also includes scenes in which the teacher appears to throw the child onto the floor or toward an adjacent room.
![A daycare center inside the National Assembly grounds is seen in this file photo. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/24/c99c22d4-e39d-4228-b983-6a29861fe00d.jpg)
A daycare center inside the National Assembly grounds is seen in this file photo. [JOONGANG ILBO]
"Given that the teacher appears to have engaged in such behavior even in the presence of other teachers and children, it is suspected that the incident was not a one-time occurrence," a National Assembly official said.
Police charged the teacher on suspicion of violating the Child Welfare Act. Investigators plan to determine the duration of the alleged abuse and whether it was intentional.
“We cannot provide further details since this case is under investigation,” police said.
The National Assembly Secretariat removed the teacher from duty after becoming aware of the allegation.
“The teacher has been suspended and is not reporting to work,” a National Assembly official told the JoongAng Ilbo. “We plan to cooperate with the police investigation.”
The National Assembly day care center was established in 1995. It accepts applications only from families in which at least one parent works at the National Assembly.
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 JEONG-JAE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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