Ministry of Education: "Kim Gun-hee's Application to Kookmin University Contains False Academic and Career Information... Did Not Attend Hiring Interview"

Listed as Master's and Associate Professor in Business Administration on Kookmin University Adjunct Professor Application
Actually Master's from Graduate School of Business, Part-time Lecturer and Industry-Academic Adjunct Faculty
Ministry of Education: "Kookmin University must verify academic background and career, and take necessary measures"
Acquired and disposed 300,000 shares of Deutsche Motors without board approval

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and his wife Kim Geon-hee, CEO of Cobana Contents, are making a public apology on the 26th at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, regarding allegations of false credentials. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education confirmed that Kim Gun-hee, wife of Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, submitted false academic and career information on her application for a non-regular faculty position at Kookmin University and has requested the university to take action.

On the 25th, the Ministry of Education held the 23rd Education Trust Recovery Promotion Team meeting to discuss the results of a special audit of Kookmin University.

The Ministry of Education's audit revealed that Kookmin University failed to properly verify Kim Gun-hee’s false career information during the non-regular faculty appointment process and did not conduct an interview during her hiring process.

Kim stated on her application for an adjunct faculty position at Kookmin University that she held a master's degree in Business Administration from University A, but her actual qualification was a Master of Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business at University A. She also listed her career as an associate professor (adjunct) at University B from March 2005 to August 2007, but in reality, she worked as a part-time lecturer at University B from March 2005 to August 2006 and as an industry-academic adjunct faculty member from September 2006 to August 2007.

In response, the Ministry of Education demanded that Kookmin University verify the academic and career information on the application form according to the university’s appointment regulations and take necessary measures regarding the inadequate screening of non-regular faculty appointments. According to Article 18 of Kookmin University’s regulations on non-regular faculty appointments, "If false information is found in the statements or submitted documents at the time of appointment, the appointment shall be canceled as of the date of appointment."

Although the university’s internal regulations allow for cancellation of appointments, the Ministry of Education did not make a direct judgment because higher laws such as the Higher Education Act do not have provisions regarding false career information of non-regular faculty, and instead left the matter to Kookmin University.

An official from the Ministry of Education stated, "We confirmed facts related to Kim during the adjunct faculty appointment process for the 2014 academic year, and the necessary measures are matters for Kookmin University to decide according to their regulations at that time. The university operating the regulations should decide how to apply their internal rules based on the notified content. We will judge based on the actions taken after the audit results are reported."

The Ministry of Education also pointed out that during the doctoral thesis review process for Kim in the second semester of 2007, the university violated the standard requiring thesis review committee members to be assistant professors or higher by including one full-time lecturer. Additionally, no interviews were conducted for Kim and another candidate because they were alumni of the same university. The Ministry plans to require Kookmin University to establish disqualification criteria for committee members in faculty hiring processes.

Furthermore, it was found that two individuals with institutional careers unrelated to their job duties were hired as adjunct faculty. It was also revealed that nine students who were below the attendance threshold received F grades, and 13 faculty members who failed to submit leave or make-up class plans within the deadline were not penalized. The Ministry of Education plans to request disciplinary actions (warnings and cautions) against 13 Kookmin University staff and professors and issue an institutional warning to the university.

Regarding the acquisition of Deutsche Motors stocks by Kookmin University raised during the National Assembly audit, it was found that the stocks were acquired and disposed of without approval from the corporate board of directors, and advisory contracts were signed with unqualified individuals who received advisory fees amounting to 691.09 million KRW.

Kookmin University sold Deutsche Motors stocks at a price lower than the acquisition price. The audit revealed that 300,000 shares of Deutsche Motors were acquired for 2.624 billion KRW and sold for 2.119 billion KRW. The acquisition scale and number of shares are larger than those disclosed during the National Assembly audit.

The acquisition details of securities including Deutsche Motors stocks amount to 32 billion KRW (33 cases) as income-generating basic assets and were disposed of for 36.7 billion KRW (33 cases). As general assets, securities worth 18.5 billion KRW (45 cases) were acquired and disposed of for 20.7 billion KRW (45 cases). From 2017 to 2021, Kookmin University did not undergo corporate board deliberation and approval or obtain jurisdictional approval (for basic assets) when acquiring or disposing of stocks.

The Ministry of Education issued a warning to the chairman of the Kookmin Academy foundation and requested severe disciplinary action against the head of the Kookmin Academy business headquarters. Regarding allegations of breach of trust and embezzlement for signing investment advisory contracts and paying advisory fees to unregistered financial investment business operators under the Capital Markets Act, the Ministry plans to request a police investigation.

Additionally, the audit of financial support project management revealed that expenses for the University Innovation Support Project team were executed without supporting documents, and experimental and practical equipment purchases for the project were made without prior review. The Ministry of Education requested severe disciplinary action against the head of the University Innovation Promotion Team and warnings for six staff members.

Kookmin University has the right to request a re-examination within one month regarding the Ministry of Education’s audit results; if no request is made, the audit results will be finalized.