S Korean teachers set to hold massive rally following suicide deaths of distressed teachers

The rally, set to begin at 4:30 p.m. in front of the National Assembly, had originally been planned to mourn the death of a young teacher in Seoul who took her own life in July after struggling to deal with a school violence case.

But at least two additional teacher suicides happened last week, one in Seoul on Thursday and the other in the southwestern city of Gunsan on Friday, adding fuel to the anger about bad treatment of teachers and raising the possibility of Monday's rally becoming the largest-ever teacher protest.

Many teachers have filed for a one-day leave of absence to attend the rally, and some 30 elementary schools across the nation have even designated Monday a temporary holiday as too many teachers wanted to take a day off for the collective action, called «Public Education Stoppage Day.»

A teacher at an elementary school in western Seoul said only 14 of the school's 48 teachers came to work, with the rest taking the day off apparently to attend the rally. Situations at other elementary schools were believed to be similar.

Teachers in provincial regions also planned to hold rallies in front of regional education offices.

Monday marks the 49th day since the young teacher died. In Buddhism, the 49th day after death is when the souls of the deceased head off to the afterlife. In South Korea, the 49th-day ceremony is one of the most important postmortem rituals for the dead.