Regarding the allegations of plagiarism in the doctoral dissertation of Kim Geon-hee, spouse of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, voices from members within the university demanding a thorough investigation and measures to prevent recurrence are growing louder at Kookmin University. [Photo by Instagram capture]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Voices from members within the university demanding a thorough investigation and measures to prevent recurrence are growing louder at Kookmin University regarding allegations of plagiarism in the doctoral dissertation of Kim Gun-hee, spouse of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol.
According to Segye Ilbo on the 9th, immediately after the allegations surfaced on the 6th, current students and alumni of Kookmin University condemned Kim's immorality through the university community platform "Everytime." Additionally, criticism toward the university's inadequate verification of the thesis is increasing. Despite obvious issues such as translation errors and patchwork in Kim's dissertation, the university is being pointed out for its significant responsibility in failing to properly review it.
According to the report, a user identified as A wrote on Everytime on the 9th, "I hope Kookmin University does not set a precedent that goes against propriety," adding, "If the allegations are proven true, (Kim) should be severely punished, and the professors should be ashamed." A, who demanded a thorough investigation from the university, also criticized the supervising professors who consecutively oversaw Kim's dissertation and the reviewing professors who approved it.
Some students expressed outrage over the mere fact that the allegations surfaced, saying "Kim has tarnished the school's image." Their reactions included comments such as "There is no disgrace like this disgrace," "Students, professors, and school officials have all been mocked," and "Let's cut ties quickly." On the other hand, there were also voices urging to "wait for the results," leading to heated debates.
A graduate student said, "Kim's dissertation reportedly had a 50% plagiarism rate at the time, yet it was still passed, which is absurd," expressing a relative sense of deprivation over the suspicion that Kim's thesis was approved despite the high plagiarism rate.
As allegations of plagiarism have been repeatedly raised, calls for the university to implement measures to prevent recurrence have also been strong. In fact, in 2012, Moon Dae-sung, then a Saenuri Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker, had his doctoral degree revoked following plagiarism allegations surrounding his dissertation.
Meanwhile, Kim received her doctoral degree from Kookmin University's Graduate School of Techno Design with a dissertation titled "Research on Fortune-telling Content Development Using Avatars: Focusing on the Development and Market Application of 'Anita'" (2008). Recently, in addition to plagiarism disputes related to this thesis, allegations have also been raised regarding copyright infringement of the 'Anita' product.
In response, Kookmin University has formed a Research Ethics Committee to investigate Kim's dissertation. Currently, the investigation is at the preliminary stage, and after a full investigation process, the final determination on plagiarism will be made.
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