A few years ago I saw a teacher who caught a high school student loitering in the corrider pinch her by the cheek, literally give her head a shake, slap her across the head, and yell at her to hurry up and get to the multimedia room where she was late fore a presentation. And what presentation was this that was so important she couldn't miss the first couple of minutes? A presentation by the local police about the prevention of violence towards women.
Wow -- such irony!
I've seen some of my previous co-teachers at my first school get a little physical with the students for discipline -- pinch their cheeks, give them "knocks" on the heads with fists, hit their hands with a stick, and the occasional slap on the bottom. So even though using corporal punishment at schools in Korea is supposedly phased out, in general, it does still happen here and there. I guess it's partly cultural, as most Korean adults (particularly the older generation) do believe in using corporal punishment. Although for me personally, it always makes me feel rather uncomfortable witnessing a kid getting hit...not something I like to see happen.
