After education groups pushed back on President Lee Jae-myung’s remark that “you shouldn’t get rid of the jars for fear of maggots,” the Blue House clarified that his intent was to emphasize protecting teachers. As of the 1st, education officials say only 231 of Seoul’s 1,331 elementary, middle and high schools—about 17%—are planning school trips this year.
School trips, which largely disappeared during 2020–2021 because of COVID-19, rebounded to 46% (609 schools) in 2023. But worries about legal liability for teachers last year have pushed the rate down to 17% this year.
The decline is most pronounced at the elementary level: only 30 of 605 elementary schools—roughly 5%—planned trips this year.
At a Cabinet meeting on the 28th of last month, President Lee questioned the trend away from outings, asking, “Don’t field trips and school excursions form part of classroom instruction?” He added that if safety is a concern, the government should fund additional safety staff or recruit volunteers, and that students should not be denied valuable opportunities merely to avoid responsibility.
Teacher organizations—including the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, the Teachers’ Union Federation and the Korea Federation of Teachers’ Associations—responded sharply. Through statements, press conferences and demonstrations, they warned against shifting responsibility onto individual teachers.
The Teachers’ Union staged protests on the 29th and 30th in front of the Blue House and the Education Ministry, calling the issue structural and urging that the state, rather than individual educators, bear responsibility for education-related litigation.
The Korea Federation of Teachers’ Associations called for a thorough review of the root causes behind teachers’ reluctance to organize field trips and demanded that the government first put in place robust safety measures.
The Blue House said the president’s intention was to ensure stronger protection for teachers from safety incidents during field trips and to better safeguard their ability to perform core duties amid heavy workloads.
Senior Blue House spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said the president has ordered an open debate to gather input from teachers, parents and experts on field trips. He has also asked the Education and Justice ministries to review whether teachers are bearing unreasonable legal burdens or are inadequately indemnified.
The Education Ministry issued its own response. Education Minister Choi Gyo-jin said on social media that in May he will announce measures to strengthen teachers’ legal protections, expand support staff, reduce the administrative burden of field trips, and simplify related manuals.
