Teachers took to the streets in their second weekend rally calling for the normalization of public education and commemorating an elementary school teacher who died last week in an apparent suicide in Seoul’s Seocho District.

Rallies have been underway from 2 p.m. Saturday in Gwanghwamun and near Gyeongbok Palace station in downtown Seoul as faculty members and ordinary citizens gathered from across the country, with organizers expecting some 30-thousand attendance.

Teachers recruited voluntary rally participants through social media and came out to the event dressed in black in remembrance of the fellow teacher who passed away.

They are demanding a safe educational environment, guarantee of teachers' rights and revision to a law on the punishment of child abuse crimes.

In a statement, they said the rally is not to criticize any specific person or group but is to recharge teachers' passion and provide students with a normal learning environment.