No glory for bullies: South Korea’s school violence epidemic

 

 

BUSAN — Pins hidden in her shoes, head forced down a toilet, kicked in the stomach: Korean hairdresser Pyo Ye-rim suffered a litany of abuse from school bullies, but now she’s speaking out.

The 26-year-old is part of a phenomenon sweeping South Korea known as “Hakpok #MeToo”, where people who were bullied publicly name and shame the perpetrators of school violence — “hakpok” in Korean — decades after the alleged crimes.

Made famous globally by Netflix’s gory revenge series “The Glory”, the movement has ensnaredeveryone from K-pop stars to baseball players, and accusations — often anonymous — can be career-ending, with widespread public sympathy for vict…

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