Joo Ho-min's Instagram
Famed webtoon artist Joo Ho-min who is responsible for the original comic on which "Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds" and "Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days" saw the special education teacher of his son convicted on February 1st for emotionally abusing that son. While the name of the teacher and the victim have not been disclosed, the case has seen significant press due to Joo Ho-min's connection, with his having testified at the trial.
In legal matters, the case has also been significant in that judgment was arrived at in part thanks to evidence acquired by a secret recording that was made without the defendant's consent. The defendant also held a press conference on February 6th where he discussed the chilling effect the introduction of this evidence could have on other special education teachers to do their jobs. The punishment for the teacher in question amounted to a two thousand dollar fine.
The recording in question had been made by Joo Ho-min's wife. The judge in the case ruled that as the recorded exchange was heard by multiple students in the same room, that the usual rules regarding mutual consent for recordings did not apply. Official teachers' organizations in South Korea have also spoken out against the ruling, stating that internal procedures, not legal ones, should be followed for disputes such as this.
The involvement of Joo Ho-min's wife was known through an interview the pair conducted on February 4th. There, she expressed irritation and how children with special needs are isolated and treated differently. She cited "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" as an example of how such beliefs had seemed to be improving. Joo Ho-min's wife did not defend her use of a secret recording, however, describing her reason for hiding a recording device in a bag as stemming from desperation.
Written by William Schwartz
Staff writer. Has been writing articles for HanCinema since 2012, having lived in South Korea since 2011. Started out in Gyeongju, then to Daegu, then to Ansan, then to Yeongju, then to Seoul, lived on the road for HanCinema's travel diaries series in the summer of 2016, and is currently settled in Anyang. Has good tips for utilizing South Korea's public bus system. William Schwartz can be contacted via william@hancinema.net. He also has a substack at williamschwartz.substack.com where he discusses the South Korean film industry in broader terms and takes suggestions for future movies to review.
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