Korean Court Orders Former Kindergarten Staff to Pay Damages for Online ‘Mom Cafe’ Post

By Juwon Kang, March 23, 2026

Court: Daegu District Court
Case: 2025가단1549

A former kindergarten nutrition teacher posted critical comments about her workplace in a Naver “mom cafe” online community.
The kindergarten director later sued the teacher for 50 million KRW in damages.
The court ultimately ruled that the former employee must pay 500,000 KRW (about $370 USD) in compensation.

The defendant (B) worked as a nutrition teacher from July 2023 to March 2024 at a kindergarten operated by the plaintiff (A).
Shortly before leaving the job, B posted messages in an online parenting community on Naver criticizing the kindergarten’s operations.
The post included allegations such as:
- Children wandering to other floors unsupervised
- Teachers yelling at or pushing crying children
- Fake class photos taken to make it look like lessons had occurred
- Four chickens being used to feed about 100 people
- Serving cheap porridge snacks to cut costs
Investigators found that B also privately told readers the name of the kindergarten when contacted.

B was previously prosecuted for online defamation under Korea’s Information and Communications Network Act.
In August 2025, the court issued a summary order imposing a 500,000 KRW fine, which became final.

The Daegu District Court held that B’s actions constituted an unlawful act that damaged the director’s reputation.

Key points from the ruling:

By posting the allegations publicly and sharing the kindergarten’s name with others, B revealed information capable of harming the director’s reputation.
This created civil liability for emotional damages.

Although the plaintiff sought 50 million KRW, the court limited damages to 500,000 KRW, considering several factors:

The kindergarten had over 100 children across seven classes, making food quality and supervision a matter of legitimate concern for parents and the community.
Some facts referenced by B had a basis in reality, including:
- Use of four chickens as meal ingredients
- Provision of Chinese-imported carrots
As nutrition teacher, B planned menus and oversaw meal preparation, but budget decisions and ingredient purchases were influenced by the director.
B also had a personal conflict with the director before resigning, which likely motivated the post.

In Korea, online posts criticizing workplaces can lead to both criminal and civil liability for defamation, especially when the organization can be identified.
However, courts may award relatively small damages if:
- Some claims have factual support
- The issue involves public or community interest
- The dispute arises from workplace conflict

KLAWGURU.COM