Education minister Lee Ju-ho has vowed to draw up a bill that would place teachers who are struggling with mental illness on leave of absence ex officio. 

Lee made the pledge Wednesday during a meeting with superintendents in metropolitan and provincial offices of education as he extended his deep condolences to the bereaved family of seven-year-old Kim Ha-neul, who was fatally stabbed by her teacher on Monday. 

Lee said he will pursue “Ha-neul’s Law,” consisting of revisions to related legislations.

The minister said the government will also devise appropriate steps to make it mandatory to check whether teachers struggling with mental illness can work normally upon returning to school. 

He also pledged to seek ways for the government to intervene immediately in the event that any member of a school’s teaching staff shows signs of violence. 

Such measures apparently come after taking into account that the teacher who fatally stabbed Kim was able to come back to work by submitting simple paperwork.