A teacher in charge of a special education class at an elementary school in Incheon was taken to hospital after being assaulted by a student, according to the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education on Thursday.

The incident, which took place on June 23 and reportedly resulted in serious injuries, comes amid growing debate over the lack of protection for teachers.

The assault occurred when the teacher warned the student not to behave aggressively to other students. The student responded by grabbing the teacher's hair and pulling her to the ground.

The teacher suffered a neck injury and was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. Prior to the assault, the teacher was reportedly verbally and physically abused over the course of two months, starting in April.

The elementary school where the incident took place held a committee meeting on teachers' rights and suspended the student.

The teacher told local media that she couldn't defend herself, even as she was being physically assaulted or verbally abused. “The student’s parents are trying to blame me, (saying) the student acted out because she or he disliked me," said the teacher.

“A committee discussing teachers’ rights was held after verifying the (claims of) abuse,” said an official from the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education. “We will continue to work on measures to prevent any recurrence of similar incidents,” he added.