교실에 퍼진 혐오 문화…'교육적 개입'은 어렵다? / EBS뉴스 2026. 07. 09

https://home.ebs.co.kr/ebsnews/menu2/... [EBS News] Recently, a cheering slogan used by baseball team students that disparaged the May 18 Democratization Movement has sparked social controversy. However, it has been revealed that a significant number of teachers have encountered similar hate speech and historical distortion in their classrooms as well. It is reported that while 7 out of 10 teachers have witnessed such instances firsthand, they are facing difficulties in providing educational intervention. Let's watch the video first to find out the reasons behind this. [VCR] Controversy over Baejae High School Baseball Team's "Tank Day" Cheering... 73.9% of Teachers "Personally Witnessed Student Hate and Historical Distortion" Culture of Hate Spreads to Classrooms Education Hesitant Amid Controversy Over Political Neutrality Urgent Need for 'Safety Mechanisms' for Educational Intervention Education to Prevent Extremes: What Is Needed Now? ----- Anchor Seo Hyun-ah We will take a closer look at the measures needed to rectify the culture of hatred spreading in classrooms with Kim Ji-hee, Vice Chairperson of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU). Yes, it is said that a culture of hatred is spreading rapidly among youth, to the point where there are concerns that teenagers are becoming far-right. What is your perspective from the actual field? Kim Ji-hee, Vice Chairperson / Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union Rather than viewing it as a rise to the far-right among teenagers, I think we should view it as youths encountering expressions of hatred, discrimination, and historical distortion on a daily basis, and some of them expressing these sentiments directly and internalizing them as their beliefs. Nevertheless, from the December 3rd Martial Law incident to this recent baseball tournament, expressions of hatred and historical distortion have begun to visibly appear in classrooms and throughout schools. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the KTU has been conducting various projects related to expressions of hatred and historical distortion, such as social dialogues and lectures, since last year. This survey was conducted targeting 1,109 teachers and 1,636 students from 6th grade to 12th grade nationwide, prompted by an incident in which the May 18 Democratization Movement was disparaged during cheering at a baseball tournament. 88.4% of teachers responded that they perceive this incident as a structural result of online hate culture entering schools. This demonstrates that expressions of hatred and historical distortion are already a serious problem that has spread throughout the school environment. Anchor Seo Hyun-ah Yes, so you are saying that classrooms may now have become places where hatred is rampant. Did this perspective also emerge in the fact-finding survey? Vice Chairperson Kim Ji-hee / Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union Yes, that is correct. Nine out of ten teachers answered that they had encountered expressions of hatred or historical distortion from students over the past year. Of these, 73.9% answered that they witnessed it firsthand rather than hearing about it secondhand, proving that most of these incidents actually occurred in classrooms. While 77.3% were identified in conversations among students during break time, it was found that hate speech and expressions of historical distortion were also used during class, in assignments, and in presentation materials. The number one hate speech used by students was disparaging and mocking former and current presidents, and 58.2% of teachers responded that they encountered it "repeatedly and frequently." This was followed by hate speech and discrimination against women, sexual minorities, people with disabilities, and immigrants, as well as disparagement of generations and social classes. This demonstrates that hate speech and expressions of historical distortion have become normalized throughout school life, ranging from break time to classes and assignments. Anchor Seo Hyun-ah Yes, it appears that hateful language is now spreading to target vulnerable groups, but surely young students weren't like this from the beginning, were they? Through what channels are they encountering this hateful language? Kim Ji-hee, Vice Chairperson / Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union The primary channel through which adolescents encounter and acquire hate speech and expressions of historical distortion is "online short-form platforms." The results of the youth survey, in order, are YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Additionally, the most frequently encountered hate speech and historical distortion expressions over the past year were "expressions mocking appearance, academic performance, family background, region, speech patterns, etc." followed by "content mocking the deaths, accidents, or tragedies of politicians or celebrities." With t...