Foreigner Rescues Kids From Abusive Daycare in Itaewon

Foreigner Rescues Kids From Abusive Daycare in Itaewon

Koreabeat reported a daycare center in Itaewon used some highly questionable punishments — locking its kids (a little girl) outside in the cold, naked. a foreign teacher passing by saw the abuse and took photos. This is currently one of the most-viewed stories on Naver.

There is shock over the punishment a daycare center in Seoul doled out to one child — she was forced to take off his clothes and be locked outside. As a result of photos sent to Oh My News and the resulting investigation, it has been confirmed that the “Yongsan-gu daycare center" in Itaewon made the child, who appears to be about five years old, remove her clothes before putting him outside and shutting the door, leaving her there.


It is particularly shocking that the daycare center in question, run for low-income families by the local Yongsan-gu government, left the child alone outside on the second floor fire escape where there was a danger of him falling.

Oh My News separately received two photos, which show a small girl standing on the second floor fire escape almost naked, huddling in the extreme cold.

According to data from weather reports, on the 25th, the day of the naked punishments, the temperature in Seoul ranged from -1.8℃ to -9.6℃.

In an interview with Oh My News on the 28th, K, a foreigner who witnessed the punishments and took the photos, testified that from December 29th to January 25th she saw the punishment carried out twice.

She said, “at about 10 in the morning on December 28th someone opened the door and put a completely naked little boy onto the veranda. The boy did not cry but he kept screaming and screaming, as if terribly frightened.”

“Then on the 25th the same thing happened to a little girl. Her pants were around her ankles.”

According to her testimony, the children were left outside for about 10 to 15 minutes. She said, “I heard the child’s cries and took the pictures.”

Oh My News went directly to the daycare to confirm these facts, finding that K’s photographs are, in fact, of the daycare’s second floor fire escape. In the three-story building there is a retirement home on the first floor, with the daycare occupying the top two floors.

But the daycare center fully denies the allegations. The Yongsan-gu Office, which manages the center, announced, “the daycare center has operated since 1995. It was established to serve low-income families.” The center is currently serving 44 children from low-income families.

Mr. Park, the owner, angrily said, “the 25th was our sports day, so nothing like that happened. This is an untrue rumor which should not have been spoken. Who says we used naked punishments? Somebody is speaking nonsense.”

Another employee at the daycare denied the allegations. “How could such a punishment have been used on such a terribly cold day? This isn’t the 19th century, I would feel sick just to hear of such a thing.”

“I could sue you for slander,” the employee said. After reproaching the reporter, the employee raged, “old people have no work to do, don’t you know we’re running a day care? Doesn’t Oh My News have anything better to do?”

A source at the Yongsan-gu Office said, “there have been no complaints about that center since its appointment by the government. Action can be taken after an investigation but there must be proof of the allegations.”

“For criminal punishment there must be either a complaint from parents or a third-party accusation. The ward office will typically issue a warning but if there are arrests then it can be shut down. In our jurisdiction there have been times when a child was hit and the teacher fired, but there has never been a case of an establishment being closed due to child abuse.”

This is OMN’s update. It sounds to me as though the owner has bullied the most junior staff member into taking the responsibility. If so I hope she is getting paid well for torpedoing her career to cover her boss’ ass.

The daycare center at the center of allegations of “naked punishments in cold winter” has belatedly confessed.

Until now the center had denied the allegations, calling them “nonsense”, but on the 29th they called Oh My News and said, “it happened in the course of corporal punishment. But it was wrong, there is nothing we can say.”

A childcare worker at the school who applied the punishment also said, “I did it rashly and quickly. It is my fault and I feel very responsible for it.”

L, the teacher, has been working at the daycare center for the past year. In a telephone interview with Oh My News L said, “it was something I did because I thought that the children must be brought up quickly and I am clearly at fault. I did something that a teacher in a daycare center should never do.”

“The child turns six this year but hit and hurt a friend, and I didn’t consider that ok. The child made me angry and in an instant I just got so angry and shut him outside on the fire escape.”

“Normally she is a very good child, but she made me so frustrated and I just did it so quickly. I am so sorry.”

“I didn’t make her take his clothes off, he did that himself. How could I have put a little girl out into the cold in just her underpants? I didn’t do it for very long.”

L added, “the responsibility is mine and I will put in my resignation. Though I cannot work with kids again I hope that the school will not be closed.”

Furthermore the owner of the school, a Mr. Park, and two others visited Oh My News’ office and admitted that the naked punishments had ocurred.

They said, “even though it’s difficult to look after kids it was unacceptable, and it seems the emotions of the teacher in charge erupted out of control. I have a large responsibility since I did not properly manage the teacher. Because of this clear mistake, I have accepted the offer of resignation.”

A city official in charge of childhood education saw Oh My News’ report and called, saying, “we will investigate and hand down a severe punishment.” The Yongsan-gu Office announced, “when the investigation finishes every potential action will be enforced.”

As the scandal over the Itaewon daycare which gave its kids the “naked punishment” plays out, Korean citizens are extremely angry, making their views known on the Yongsan-gu daycare center that used naked punishments during this cold winter.

One Korean woman claiming to be the mother of a 6-year old girl wrote to Chosun Ilbo, “I was shocked to see these pictures and became furious, frustrated, and I cried. This happened in a daycare allowed to use corporal punishment and from now on there needs to be a system in place to make sure that this kind of thing does not happen to other kids.”

One user named “peony” (함박꽃) wrote, “they had no understanding of human rights. They all have responsibility, not only the teacher but the owner and the government too.”

Experts in child welfare and development do not feel differently.

This report goes over the response of the teacher accused of putting the child outside and what the government plans to do about it:

Following allegations that a daycare center in Seoul left a child outside, naked, police have opened an investigation.

On the 29th the Yongsan Police Department opened an investigation following suspicions raised on the internet news site “Oh My News” that a female child in the the ㅂ daycare center in Itaewon was given a naked punishment.

Ms. K, a foreigner living in the same neighborhood where this ocurred, saw it take place and recorded it on camera. She then published it on the internet and informed a reporter at Oh My News.

In an interview with the media one member of the police said, “an investigation is ongoing into the allegations that the law on child welfare was violated by nudity punishments. The Yongsan-gu Office, which is responsible for the management of the daycare, has also opened an investigation.

According to reports, on the 25th of January 25-year old teacher at the daycare center Ms. Lee placed the child, 5-year old A, outside on the fire escape, shutting the door, as punishment for not listening well.

Ms. Lee said, “she was pulling other childrens’ hair and tormenting them, and though I wasn’t worried of any danger, she continued to act badly and do those kinds of things. I opened the door and sent her out, and told her to go to the daycare for bad kids.” The child was given the corporal punishment of being left outside on the narrow fire fire escape.

She said, “I didn’t force her to take her clothes off. She did it because she was upset. The door closed by itself. I had gotten so angry so quickly that I left her outside for a minute or two but then I opened the door and apologized to her. That was the first time I sent a child outside without clothing.”

“I like her a lot so I want her to do well, I saw it as giving her discipline. I am really sorry to her and to my fellow teachers. If it is possible I want to take sole responsibility.”

Ever since the report came out thousands of netizens have written in fury. Most of them say things like, “they should be harshly punished,” and “how could somebody do that to a child?”

The city has requested the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to revoke the teaching license of Mr. Park, the owner of the daycare center, as well as the contract for the center’s management. It is expected that Ms. Lee will be indicted after the joint investigation of the Yongsan-gu Office and the Mapo Children’s Protection Center (마포아동전문보호소).

In addition the Yongsan Police Department has opened an investigation into violations of the child welfare law and has asked Ms. Lee to appear before them.

There are currently 44 children from low-income families being served by the center.

This report is nearly identical to the preceding one but for the final three paragraphs:

However some neighbors say that A was outside for at least 10 minutes and that they witnessed a similar action at the end of last year.

“I like her a lot so I want her to do well, I saw it as giving her discipline. I am really sorry to her and to my fellow teachers. If it is possible I want to take sole responsibility.”

A’s parents said, “we don’t want the teacher to be punished. We just want to love one another, forget about this incident and move on.”
Original Story....Koreabeat

This is a link to an SBS news story about the incident...

I also caught this on Asianoffbeat...