[Exclusive] Korea University Submits Review Materials on Jo Min's Admission Cancellation to the Ministry of Education

Korea University Responds to Request for Action Plan Regarding Jomin's Admission Fraud Case

[Asia Economy Reporters Han Jinju and Lee Hyunju] Korea University has reviewed whether to cancel the admission of Cho Min, the daughter of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, and submitted the details to the Ministry of Education in the form of an official letter.

According to the Ministry of Education on the 8th, Korea University recently submitted an official letter to the Ministry reflecting the review of Cho’s admission cancellation and plans for administrative measures, and the Ministry is currently reviewing the contents. A Ministry of Education official confirmed receipt of the letter but stated, “The details (such as whether to cancel) cannot be disclosed,” adding, "We are reviewing it in line with the principle of handling it accordingly."

The office of Kwon Sang-do, a member of the National Assembly’s Education Committee from the People Power Party, requested Korea University through the Ministry of Education on the 25th of last month to submit whether it was possible to review the cancellation of admission based on the first trial verdict of Professor Jung Kyung-shim, Cho’s mother. An official from the office explained, “Some of the documents submitted by student Cho Min were recognized as false, and we requested a plan for measures regarding this.”

Recently, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye said at a press briefing, “Korea University has not conducted a legal review regarding (the admission cancellation), but since a request for document submission was made, we sent an official letter instructing them to submit a response to the National Assembly.” Minister Yoo has repeatedly emphasized that there will be no exceptions regarding admission fraud, stating, “We will do what we must according to law and principles.”

Earlier, Pusan National University announced that it would form a Fair Management Committee to begin an internal fact-finding investigation regarding admission cancellation, raising the possibility that Korea University might follow a similar path. On the 25th, Minister Yoo stated, “It does not violate the presumption of innocence principle for a university with the authority to cancel admission to investigate facts related to internal admission fraud allegations and take measures accordingly.”

Meanwhile, Cho entered Korea University’s Department of Environmental Ecology Engineering in 2010 and was admitted through early admission to Pusan National University’s Medical School in 2015. The statute of limitations has passed on the charges of obstructing admission procedures against Cho and her mother at Korea University, so they were not included in the prosecution’s indictment. However, in November 2019, Jung Jin-taek, president of Korea University, stated, “Our position that admission cancellation can be processed through procedures if serious defects are found has not changed at all.”