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By Yoon Ja-young
A high school junior has been found dead after pleading her innocence when a teacher accused her of cheating on an English assessment test.
According to a report by the Hankook Ilbo, sister paper of The Korea Times, the student, who was attending an all-girls high school in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, was found dead by an apartment building near the school on June 10. She was taken to hospital immediately, but did not survive.
She reportedly left the school at 9:40 a.m. when the second period of the day started.
The student had taken an English assessment test during the first period of the day. The test required writing a review of an English pop song in three sentences. Assessment test scores accumulate and go towards students' total grades and overall academic records. While the students were taking the test, the teacher found a note in the girl's desk that had some English sentences on it. The teacher accused the student of cheating, which she denied.
Nevertheless, the student was taken to the teachers' office and told to write a letter of apology instead of attending the second class of the day.
In the letter of apology, she wrote that she had cheated during the test and that she was sorry; she also wrote that she was now useless and she had used up all the chances she was given. She wrote she was sorry that her teacher was disappointed in her.
However, on the other side of the paper, she continued pleading her innocence. She wrote the three English sentences in question and said those sentences were not in her test answer sheet. She also said she would have no choice but to accept it if the teacher gave her a failing grade.
When the teacher stepped out of the office, the girl left the school and headed to the apartment building.
The bereaved family stated that it was only a short and simple test that lasted for 15 minutes while she was an excellent student who had ranked sixth in her year in the mid-term exams. The family said they believe the teacher made false accusations.
The Andong police and the Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education are now investigating the case.
*If you need expert help due to depression or other mental health concerns, you can receive 24-hour counseling at the Korean Suicide Prevention Center's hotline at 1393.