Reported incidents have trended up in recent years, and frontline schools' professional counseling staff cannot keep pace with demand.

Counselors carry excessive caseloads, making early identification and sustained care of at-risk students difficult, educators say.

Authorities are pushing staffing increases and outside partnerships, but without better pay and hiring conditions, turnover will persist, critics warn.

Because school violence leaves lasting scars, experts urge going beyond punishment to restorative and psychological support systems.

Korea faces its own oft-cited shortage of dedicated staff — twin societies with a shared homework assignment.