Complaint filed with Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station

Four people booked, including kindergarten director, bus aide and driver

Not directly related to the article. [Image generated with AI]
Not directly related to the article. [Image generated with AI]

Police have launched an investigation after a 4-year-old child was left alone on a kindergarten bus for more than three hours.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Thursday that four people — including the director of a kindergarten in Dongtan, Hwaseong, the bus driver and a vehicle aide — have been booked on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act and are under investigation.

The incident occurred on the morning of Oct. 1, during the arrival period. The 4-year-old girl remained on the bus, still buckled in her seatbelt, unable to get off.

The aide riding on the bus got off without checking the interior all the way to the back. The driver arrived at the depot about 30 minutes later, turned off the engine and left without checking inside the vehicle, according to authorities.

The kindergarten notified the child's parents that their daughter had not arrived, and they went to check on her. They ultimately found her still inside the bus just before 1 p.m.

The child had been left alone on the bus for approximately three hours.

It was also confirmed that the driver had switched off the boarding-check device installed at the rear of the bus — a safety mechanism designed to prompt drivers to verify whether any children remain inside the vehicle.

The child's parents filed a complaint with the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station against the four individuals, including the kindergarten director, and separately requested that the local education office conduct a full review of the kindergarten's arrival and departure procedures.

The kindergarten acknowledged the negligence and said it had put follow-up measures in place to prevent a recurrence.


jshan@heraldcorp.com