'Top Land Auction Instructor' LH Employee Faces Controversy Over 'Lecture Plagiarism' Allegations

Following the suspension of Mr. A, an employee of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) who gained fame as the "top instructor in land auctions," allegations have emerged that he copied materials and examples from a specialized land lecture he previously attended to conduct paid online courses. Photo by Kim Jong-yul, captured from the CEO's blog.

[Asia Economy Reporter Nana Han] Employee A of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) Seoul Regional Headquarters, who became famous as the 'top land auction instructor,' has been suspended from duty and is now embroiled in allegations of lecture plagiarism.

Kim Jong-yul, CEO of Bobos Real Estate Research Institute and an expert in commercial and land real estate, posted on his blog on the 5th an article titled "Top Land Instructor from LH, Actually a Plagiarist Instructor," claiming, "The top instructor (A) is a Black Diamond-level client of the Kim Jong-yul Academy. After attending this lecture, he reached the level of a top instructor."

Kim also uploaded photos comparing lecture materials and class content between himself and A, raising plagiarism suspicions. He stated, "With 18 years of experience in land investment and working at LH, for an employee to copy means the lecture must be really, really good. Surely, someone working at a public corporation wouldn't intentionally plagiarize. Perhaps many examples coincidentally became similar. However, since I am the original, I feel I must leave this note," expressing his bitterness.

Last year, A was suspected of moonlighting as a top land auction instructor, sparking controversy over holding concurrent positions. He conducted live lectures every Sunday in November last year on Afreeca TV and later charged 230,000 KRW per person on a paid site. In the course, he introduced himself as having "18 years of land investment experience." A was suspended from duty on the 5th.

While conducting lectures, A claimed in a group KakaoTalk chatroom with students, "There was absolutely no use of internal LH information, and I am simply proficient in land through actual real estate acquisition and development work."

However, in an interview with Korea Economic Daily, Kim emphasized, "Even if LH materials were not provided in the lecture, didn't he copy my lecture materials? Watching him make excuses to avoid responsibility to LH after copying someone else's lecture is simply outrageous."

Kim added, "After collecting related evidence, I am considering filing a police complaint."

The online platform 'Bujaclass,' where A conducted lectures, announced on its homepage, "It is our principle not to allow instructors to use internal information for personal investment gains or to provide lectures containing internal information," and stated, "The lecture has been removed, and refunds have been issued for the enrolled courses."