Denial of Raised Suspicions
"Legal Action Will Be Taken If Unfounded Suspicions Are Raised"
Cho Seong-gyeong, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, is delivering the opening remarks at the '2023 Science and Technology Diplomacy Forum' held on the 19th of last month at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul in Seocho-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Cho Seong-gyeong, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, refuted allegations of private education cartel involvement and plagiarism of academic papers raised against him on the 17th. He also warned that legal action would be taken if false allegations continued to be made. The Ministry of Science and ICT stated that Vice Minister Cho did not use the corporate card for personal purposes.
On the same day, Vice Minister Cho responded to claims made by the Korean University Professors Association (HanGyoHyup) and the Korean University Professors Solidarity Union (GyoSuYeondae) regarding his ownership of shares in private education companies and related press releases, calling them "irresponsible allegations made without basis."
HanGyoHyup and GyoSuYeondae pointed out that Vice Minister Cho held numerous shares in private education companies during his tenure as Science and Technology Secretary at the Presidential Office, raising suspicions of a private education cartel. They also alleged that his 2012 doctoral dissertation in media studies from Korea University had a 48% plagiarism rate compared to his own paper published a year earlier in an academic journal.
They further raised suspicions that during the process of obtaining his doctorate from Ajou University in 2003, the review committee member, former Minister of Science and Technology A, had a close relationship with Vice Minister Cho, which allegedly led to preferential treatment in his appointment as a professor at Myongji University.
Regarding these allegations, Vice Minister Cho explained that he disposed of all shares he held between June and August 2022, shortly after assuming his position as Secretary at the Presidential Office, and that these holdings did not affect his duties as Secretary.
Vice Minister Cho stated that there were no irregularities or defects in the processes of obtaining his doctoral degrees from Ajou University in 2003 and Korea University in 2012, and expressed his willingness to undergo investigation and judgment by the university authorities if necessary. He rebutted the plagiarism and research ethics violation allegations as unilateral claims, calling the selective citation of some papers to accuse him of research ethics violations malicious defamation. He added that the appointment process at Myongji University followed proper procedures and that he is willing to cooperate with any fact-finding or investigations.
Vice Minister Cho emphasized, "While criticism based on accurate facts regarding the private education cartel is welcome, I must state for the last time that if indiscriminate and irresponsible allegations that are not based on facts continue, legal action against the relevant parties will be unavoidable."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and ICT stated in a separate explanatory document, "We clearly state that under no circumstances was the business promotion fund used for personal purposes." The ministry did not comment on allegations that records were fabricated differently from the actual use of the business promotion fund.
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