I have recently been carrying out an in-depth study of corporal punishment in South Korea, where it remains an everyday reality in a school pupil’s life.
It has been a point of honour that a Korean child should submit to physical punishment without complaint if he or she does something wrong. Parents and pupils have respected and trusted teachers to inflict punishment with justice as part of their duty of care, and are prepared to accept that some punishments can be quite tough. Indeed many parents like to provide an easy-going home environment and are content to leave it to the teacher to play the “bad guy” and carry out the unpleasant task of disciplining their children on their behalf.