(Illustration by Park Ji-young/The Korea Herald)
(Illustration by Park Ji-young/The Korea Herald)

An undoctored video of a middle school student slapping her classmate has been circulating online despite police intervention, fueling concern that the victim may be subject to secondary damage due to her face being publicly exposed.

Officials at the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station said they have launched an investigation into the reported violence and possible defamation charges against students who filmed and distributed the video online. The Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education is also investigating the matter.

The one-minute, 39-second video captures the voices and faces of both students as one girl repeatedly slaps the other in the face despite the victim’s pleas for her to stop.

The police took action to delete the video, which was first posted May 2 on several social media platforms, but several copies of the video remain online, police said.

The original video was deemed inappropriate by the Korea Communications Standards Commission, but each newly uploaded video containing the same content must undergo the same deliberation process by the agency, delaying the authorities' ability to respond swiftly.

The victim has yet to file a report on possible damages from the video's circulation.

The student who was captured slapping the other student wrote on her personal social media account that she had been harassed by a series of phone calls and messages via social media. She asked the public to stop while warning that she would take legal action against those spreading her personal information.

Although the alleged assailant is under police investigation, she is a minor under the age of 14 and is immune from criminal punishment.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com