Students' hate speech spreads in classrooms, alarming educators

A recent incident where students from Baejae High School used a mocking slogan referencing "Starbucks" during a baseball game has ignited widespread public anger and brought to light a disturbing trend: the normalization of hate speech and mockery among South Korean students.

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The 'owl rock' is where former President Roh Moo-hyun died. It's a keyword used to mock his death on online communities like Ilbe.

Teachers across the country are reporting an alarming increase in students using derogatory language, not just about historical events like the 5.18 pro-democracy movement, but also targeting specific regions, former presidents, immigrants, and people with disabilities. This trend is particularly concerning as it appears to be a continuation of online hate speech seeping into classrooms, with students often displaying little remorse or understanding of the gravity of their words.

"It's become a game," one middle school student described, explaining how casual insults, like calling someone "Chinese" or saying "Chinese should leave," are used without deeper meaning. Another student mentioned using "Taengjangyeon," a portmanteau of "tanker" (from the game Overwatch) and the National Federation of Persons with Disabilities, to mock disabled people's rights advocacy. Teachers note a shift from a decade ago, when students might have at least attempted to justify their hateful remarks; now, they often dismiss criticism with slang like "Did it get to you?" or "preachy충" (a derogatory term for someone who lectures others).

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I will finish the timeline by 'unji-ing' (a derogatory term for Roh Moo-hyun's death) from the owl rock.

The pervasiveness of this issue is underscored by a recent survey of 1,109 teachers, where 89.3% reported witnessing or hearing about hate speech, discrimination, or historical distortion in classrooms within the past year. A significant 88.4% of these teachers believe the Baejae High School incident is not an isolated case but rather a symptom of a broader online hate culture.

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If you look like a Chinese person, we just say, 'You're Chinese,' and 'Chinese should leave.' It's not for any special reason, just for fun.

Educators face a difficult challenge in addressing this problem. Many hesitate to intervene for fear of being accused of political bias, with students often deflecting criticism by questioning the teacher's political leanings. This reluctance creates an environment where students may feel emboldened, learning that such expressions are permissible. The article suggests that a societal failure to address the root causes, including the use of hate and discrimination for political gain, has blurred the lines of acceptable expression for young people.

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When we talk about games at school, we use the expression 'Taengjangyeon' a lot. It's a combination of 'tanker' from the game Overwatch and the National Federation of Persons with Disabilities. When someone plays like they're protesting during a game, we call them 'Taengjangyeon.'