Promoted as "Graduate of Seoul National University Department of Mathematical Sciences"
Exaggerated claims of "Many SKY admissions"
Fair Trade Commission: "Hindering rational consumer choice"
The Korea Fair Trade Commission has sanctioned Kim Saem Academy for exaggerating its admissions results by claiming that a large number of its students were admitted to so-called SKY universities, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University. It was also revealed that the academy falsely advertised the academic backgrounds and achievements of its instructors.
On the 25th, the Fair Trade Commission announced that it had decided to impose corrective orders, including the public disclosure of the sanctions, on KS, the operator of Kim Saem Academy, for violating the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.
KS is accused of attaching banners, placards, and posters containing false information about instructors on the interior and exterior walls of the Kim Saem Academy Daegu Suseong Campus building from December 2019 to January 2023. The academy advertised instructor A as a graduate of the "Department of Mathematical Sciences at Seoul National University," even though A actually graduated from a university in the Seoul metropolitan area.
In addition, it was found that the academy used phrases such as "producing a large number of SKY and medical/dental school admissions every year" without verifying objective data on successful candidates.
The Fair Trade Commission determined that these actions undermined fair trade practices in the offline academy lecture market. This is because there was a possibility that consumers could be misled into believing that the instructors were more competitive than they actually were.
The false credentials of instructor A were exposed when a parent reported the matter to the Fair Trade Commission and the police. Although the academy argued that it had been deceived by A, the Fair Trade Commission found that the academy was still responsible for failing to verify A's educational background and achievements.
The Fair Trade Commission stated, "This action was taken against violations of the law by academy operators that hinder rational consumer choice amid intensifying competition among academies," and added, "We will continue to monitor unfair labeling and advertising practices in the private education market."
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