Can my child get an interpreter in a Korean school violence case?

No law requires the school or the committee to provide an interpreter, and every notice, report and decision will be written in Korean. But you can ask for one, and in practice the school or the district education office (교육지원청) will usually try to arrange interpretation, or allow you to bring your own interpreter. The important thing is to ask early, in writing, and not to let the language problem make you miss a hearing or a deadline.

Is an interpreter guaranteed?

The school violence law gives parents the right to be notified and the right to state their opinion. It says nothing about the language. So an interpreter is not a legal guarantee. It is something you request.

Where to request it, in this order:

• the teacher in charge of school violence (책임교사) at your child's school, as soon as you get the first call
• the official handling the case at the district education office, once a committee date is set
• the local multicultural education support center (다문화교육지원센터), which many education offices run and which often has interpreters for school matters
• the Danuri helpline for multicultural families (다누리콜센터, 1577-1366) or the immigration contact center (1345), which can interpret by phone in several languages

Send the request as a text message or email so there is a record: "I am the parent of (name), class (number). I do not read Korean well. Please arrange an interpreter in (language) for the committee meeting, or confirm that I may bring one."

Can I bring my own interpreter?

Usually yes. A friend, a community member, a church or mosque volunteer, or a paid interpreter can normally sit beside you at the committee, as long as you tell the office in advance and the person is not involved in the incident. Avoid using your own child or another child from the same school as your interpreter: the committee is asking the students about the facts, and a child who interprets becomes part of the case.

Phone interpretation by a service you call yourself is sometimes allowed, but committees prefer a person in the room. Ask before the day.

Can a lawyer come with us or speak for us?

A parent is the child's guardian and has a legal right to be heard. A lawyer can prepare the written statement, attend with you and speak on your behalf if the committee permits it; most committees accept this when a power of attorney (위임장) is filed beforehand. The student is still expected to appear in person and answer questions. For the later stage, an administrative appeal (행정심판), the law lists who may act as your representative: a lawyer, or a spouse or relative within the fourth degree, among others. That is useful for families where one parent reads Korean better than the other.

What papers will I receive, in Korean?

Document	What it is
Notice of the committee meeting (심의위원회 개최 통지)	Date, place and agenda. Count your preparation time from this date.
Fact-finding report of the school (사안조사 보고서)	The school's summary of what happened. Not always given to parents; you can ask for a copy or at least to see it.
Decision notice (조치 결정 통보서)	Which measures were ordered, numbered 1 to 9 for the accused student. The appeal period is counted from the day you learn of it.
Minutes (회의록)	Not sent automatically. A party may request access; names and other personal data are removed first.

Nobody will translate these for you. Take a photo of each page and get it translated the same day, by a person if possible, by an app if not. Ask the office what each number in the decision notice means before you leave.

What can I submit, and in which language?

You can give the committee anything that helps it understand the incident: a written statement (의견서), screenshots of messages, photos, a medical certificate (진단서), a counselor's letter, or, on the accused side, a letter of apology and proof of what the family has done since. Practical rules:

1. Write the statement in Korean if at all possible. A statement in your language with a Korean translation attached is the next best option. 2. Messages in your language (for example a chat between the two children in Russian or Vietnamese) should come with a Korean translation of the relevant lines. The committee members read Korean only. 3. Keep originals. Hand in copies. 4. Submit before the meeting day, through the office handling the case, and keep proof that you sent it.

Which deadlines can a language gap make me miss?

• The meeting date itself. If you cannot attend on that day, ask for a change in writing as soon as you know; the committee does not have to agree.
• 90 days to file an administrative appeal, counted from the day you learned of the decision, and 90 days for a lawsuit. "I did not understand the letter" does not extend the period.
• Special education sessions ordered for the parent of an accused student. Missing them can lead to a fine.

Next step

If a meeting notice has arrived and you are not sure what it says, send us a photo of it. We can tell you what stage the case is at and what to prepare, and work with your interpreter or arrange one. Consultations are paid; when you contact us, a staff member will call you back and explain the fee.

법무법인 대한중앙
1533-7377

Rules applied

Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures against Violence in Schools (학교폭력예방 및 대책에 관한 법률) Article 13(4) (notice of meeting and result to students and parents), Article 16(2) and Article 17(8) (opportunity for the student and parent to state their opinion), Article 17(13) and Article 23 (parent education and fine), Article 17-2 and 17-3 (administrative appeal and lawsuit), Article 21(3) (access to minutes). Administrative Appeals Act (행정심판법) Article 18(1) (who may be a representative), Article 27(1) (90 days from learning of the decision). Administrative Litigation Act (행정소송법) Article 20(1) (90 days). The Act and its Enforcement Decree contain no provision on interpretation or translation.

This is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different.