EA-03: South Korea — Field Trip Collapse
Systemic Risk · East Asia · South Korea · 2024–2026
What Happened
Elementary school field trip participation in South Korea collapsed from 99% to 51% in two years as courts increasingly held individual teachers criminally liable for student accidents during trips. Teachers are refusing to organise trips rather than risk personal criminal liability for incidents outside their control.
Outcome
Criminal convictions of teachers — 6-month and 8-month prison sentences; collapse of national school field trip sector from 99% to 51% participation
Quality Gaps Identified
- The complete absence of an independent accreditation framework for trip providers shifts all liability onto schools and individual teachers
- When no trusted third-party standard exists for vetting external providers, teachers bear the full weight of due diligence failure
- The Korean example is a direct warning of what happens to school educational trips when no trusted quality framework exists
TripTrust Quality Indicator Analysis
QI 8a provides schools with a pre-verified evidence pack documenting that the provider meets required standards — this becomes part of the school's due diligence audit trail and reduces the residual liability carried by individual teachers and EVCs.
Quality Indicators Referenced
QI 8a QI 5a QI 1b