The Education, Science and Technology Ministry has announced strong disciplinary actions against 88 teachers who actively participated in the antigovernment statement issued on June 18th.

The teachers are members of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union.

The ministry on Friday held an emergency meeting and decided to dismiss ten teachers and suspend 78 others. It also decided to report them to the prosecutor’s office for further inquiry.

The ministry will issue warnings or cautionary citations to 17-thousand other teachers who also signed the statement.

The ministry said that the teachers' actions were a violation of laws governing public officials and teachers unions, adding that merging politics with education is unacceptable.