Korea's school violence framework is unusually formalized compared to many countries: it isn't just a matter of internal school discipline, but a legal process governed by statute, with a dedicated committee, defined procedural rights, and outcomes that can follow a student on their academic record. For foreign and multicultural families, navigating it without fluent Korean or familiarity with the system adds real difficulty on top of an already stressful situation.

→Why This Often Hits Multicultural Families Harder

Children of foreign parents, mixed-heritage children, and kids who simply look or sound different are statistically more likely to be targeted for bullying in Korean schools — and their parents are often the least equipped to navigate the reporting process because of language and unfamiliarity with how Korean schools operate. At the same time, a foreign or multicultural child can also be the one accused, sometimes amid assumptions or miscommunication that a language barrier makes harder to untangle in real time. Either way, understanding the process itself — not just the outcome you're hoping for — is what lets a parent actually participate in it rather than simply wait for a translated summary.

1What Counts as School Violence (학교폭력) Under the Act

Under the School Violence Prevention and Countermeasures Act (학교폭력예방법, hakgyo pongnyeok yebangbeop), "school violence" is defined broadly, covering more than physical fights. It includes:

Because the definition extends to conduct outside school grounds and hours — most commonly online — an incident doesn't need to happen physically at school to fall under this framework.

2How to Report It

A report can be made to your child's homeroom teacher or school counselor directly, but there are formal channels too: the national School Violence Report Center (학교폭력신고센터, dial 117) operates by phone and online, including anonymous reporting, and every school has a designated responsible teacher for school violence cases. If language is a barrier, ask the school directly whether interpretation support is available — many schools with multicultural student populations have some capacity for this, though it varies significantly, and it's worth asking early rather than assuming none exists.

3The School Violence Committee (학교폭력대책심의위원회, 학폭위) Process

Once a case is reported, it generally proceeds through a set process:

  1. Fact-finding investigation by the school, gathering statements from the students involved and any witnesses
  2. Referral to the School Violence Committee (학교폭력대책심의위원회, commonly shortened to 학폭위), a body operated at the district education office level, not just internally by the school
  3. A hearing where both the affected student's parents and the accused student's parents can attend, submit statements, and respond to the findings
  4. A determination and measures, which for the student found responsible can range from a written apology and counseling up to class transfer, suspension, or in serious cases expulsion; measures for the affected student can include counseling support and, where needed, class or school transfer for their protection
  5. An appeal option — a decision can be challenged through an administrative appeal (행정심판) or, further, an administrative lawsuit (행정소송) if a party believes the outcome was procedurally unfair or unsupported by the facts

Both sides have the right to be heard at the 학폭위 hearing — a foreign parent who doesn't show up, or attends without understanding what's being decided, gives up real influence over an outcome that can follow a child for years.

4If Your Child Is the One Accused

It's a natural instinct to focus only on a child being victimized, but a foreign or multicultural child accused of school violence has due process rights too, and the stakes for them are just as real — certain committee measures are recorded on a student's school life record (학교생활기록부), which can affect college admissions later. If your child is accused, you're entitled to review the allegations, present your child's version of events and any supporting evidence, and participate fully in the hearing rather than simply accept whatever the school proposes. Don't assume the process will sort itself out fairly without your active participation — prepare a clear written statement in advance, and bring an interpreter if you need one.

5Records and Longer-Term Consequences

More serious committee measures can be entered on a student's school life record (학교생활기록부), with a set retention period before automatic deletion, and in some circumstances an early expungement request can be made showing genuine reflection and improved conduct. Because these entries can matter for later school transfers or applications, understanding what specific measure was issued — and whether it was proportionate to what actually happened — is worth taking seriously rather than treating the hearing as a formality.

6What Foreign Parents Should Do