"The wordings of the post were meaningless." On a recent phone call with the vice-principal of Kyungbock High School, the official defended the students who were accused of sexually harassing aespa.
Vice Principal Denies Kyungbock Students Sexually Harassed aespa
The controversy that some students uploaded sexual harassment posts for the idol group aespa, who performed in support of the alumni event at Kyungbock High School in Seoul, continues.
Amid the investigation, the vice principal of the all-boys school released their personal side on May 9 and said:
"The student who 'violated' the law did not post it with malicious intent."
This statement was conveyed by the official through the women's newspaper, during an exclusive phone interview with the vice-principal of Kyungbock High School on the controversy over "aespa Sexual Harassment."
ALSO READ: aespa 'Sexually Harassed' in Boys' School? Here's What Really Happened
They added:
"The student (who posted the sexual harassment post) did not post it with malicious intent, but he was very confused because his intention was distorted."
The vice principal continued:
"The wording of the post (which was criticized for sexual harassment) is meaningless."
When asked about the investigation status of additional perpetrators, the vice principal said stated that it is not easy to track down the other students who allegedly harassed the quartet because it is within SNS and the investigation was only conducted based on the information that they received.
Nevertheless, the official refused to admit their shortcomings and claimed:
"At the time, the scene was not that chaotic, but rather, I was praised (by outsiders) for keeping the order well."
Netizens who heard the explanation poured out criticisms such as:
"I think the sympathy is given to the wrong people."
"If there was an intention, it would even make him more of a criminal."
"Is the educator even right?"
aespa's Sexual Harassment Controversy – Here's What Happened
Meanwhile, the controversy started on May 2 when Kyungbock High School, the alumni school of Lee Soo Man held its 101st-anniversary festival.
On this day, aespa were invited to perform but K-pop enthusiasts complained of the lack of security and how some students posted photos of the members on SNS, including sexual harassment phrases such as "I did everything except touching" and "S*x."
In response, Kyungbock High School initially said:
"After the media reports, we conducted an on-campus investigation of students, and as a result, several outsiders who were not Kyungbock students visited the event, but for safety reasons, they were not permitted to enter."
After being criticized for its first apology statement, the school once again released another statement and vowed to conduct a thorough investigation.
Currently, the school is holding a leading committee after confirming one student who posted a sexual harassment post on SNS and investigating it.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will provide customized gender awareness education for Kyungbock High School.
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Written by Eunice Dawson
