If You Have Experienced or Witnessed School Violence: From Reporting to 117 to Legal Support

With school violence, people often hesitate to report it at all and end up missing the right moment. Here is the order to follow, starting with a process that protects your identity and moving on to legal support if needed.

1Step 1 — Report to 117

The School Violence Report Center 117 is jointly run by the Ministry of Education and the National Police Agency, and takes reports 24 hours a day by phone (117, no area code), text (#0117), and through the Safe Dream website and app. As soon as a report comes in, it is handled as a one-stop process covering emergency rescue, investigation orders, legal counseling, and referral to support agencies, and the reporter's identity is kept confidential — so even if you only witnessed it, it is worth reporting without hesitation.

2Step 2 — If you are unsure about the process, check Easy-to-Find Everyday Legal Information first

If the procedures of the School Violence Prevention Deliberation Committee, or how to file an objection, feel complicated, you can first look up material organized at a citizen's level on Easy-to-Find Everyday Legal Information, run by the Ministry of Government Legislation. It is free to browse with no sign-up required.

3Step 3 — If you need legal action but the cost is a concern

If a dispute with the other student's side is heading toward litigation, or you need professional legal help but hiring a lawyer feels too expensive, the Korea Legal Aid Corporation (132, no area code) can provide free legal counseling, and even litigation representation, if you meet the income requirements.

Services mentioned in this guide