Ministry of Education to Announce Position on Jomin Admission Allegations Within This Week

Busan National University Reports Related Investigation Plan

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Regarding the allegations of fraudulent admission of Cho Min, daughter of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, to the Busan National University School of Medicine, the Ministry of Education announced on the 22nd that it will review Busan National University's plan and announce its position within this week.

The Ministry of Education stated in a text message sent to reporters on the same day, "We will promptly conduct an internal review of the official document from Busan National University," and added, "We plan to provide a comprehensive announcement of the related position no later than the end of this week."

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye, when questioned at the National Assembly's Education Committee, said, "We have completed legal review and judged that a fact-finding investigation and an action plan at the level of Busan National University are necessary to resolve the allegations and ensure fairness in admissions. We requested Busan National University to establish and report a comprehensive plan." She also mentioned that on the 8th, an official letter was sent to Busan National University requesting a report on the related matters by the 22nd.

Accordingly, Busan National University plans to send an official document to the Ministry of Education by the end of the day. According to the Higher Education Act, the head of a university must cancel the admission of a student who submitted forged or altered false documents during the admission screening process. Previously, even if forgery of screening documents was confirmed, the decision to cancel admission was left to the university's discretion. However, in December 2019, the law was amended to make it mandatory to cancel admission for students who committed fraudulent acts during the university admission process.

Meanwhile, Jung Kyung-shim, wife of former Minister Cho Kuk and professor at Dongyang University, was indicted last December on charges related to her daughter Cho Min's admission fraud and private equity fund investments, and was sentenced to four years in prison in the first trial. The Seoul Central District Court recognized her guilt, stating that "the fact of forgery of the Dongyang University president's certificate, which was a key issue, is sufficiently proven."