Empowered by #MeToo, a new generation fights sexual abuse in South Korea's schools

SEOUL, South Korea - When students reported that a male teacher at the private Yonghwa Girls High School in Seoul was touching them inappropriately, they were ignored.

So they came up with their own defenses: Block your chest with a textbook. Wear gym pants under your skirt.

That was six years ago.

The response was far different last March when recent graduates joined current students in publicly calling out sexual abuse and harassment at the school. Their complaints went viral on social media, and this time, authorities listened. The teacher was fired.

"It was unbearable to think he would continue teaching," said Sophie Park, now 23, who last year accused the teacher of sexually assaulting her in 2012. "It seemed like if it