Seoul Office of Education Begins Process to Revoke Kim Keonhee's Teacher Certificate

Sookmyung Women's University Requests Cancellation of Kim Keonhee's Teaching Certificate Following Master's Degree Revocation
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education: "Procedures Initiated in Accordance with Relevant Laws"

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has initiated the process to revoke Kim Keonhee's 'Secondary School Level 2 Teacher Certificate.'

On July 9, the Office of Education announced, "We have received an application from Sookmyung Women's University Graduate School to cancel Kim Keonhee's teaching certificate and have begun the related procedures."

Yonhap News Agency

The Office added, "In accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act and other relevant regulations, we will issue a prior notice of the certificate revocation process as soon as possible and provide an opportunity for Kim Keonhee to submit her opinion. Afterward, we will proceed with procedures such as a hearing, make a decision, and then notify the certificate holder, the Minister of Education, and the institution that originally issued the certificate of the outcome."

On July 8, Sookmyung Women's University convened a Teacher Training Committee and sent an official letter to the Office of Education requesting the cancellation of Kim Keonhee's teaching certificate. This action follows the decision made on June 23 by the Graduate School Committee to revoke Kim Keonhee's master's degree for her thesis, "A Study on the Pictorial Characteristics of Paul Klee." As a result of the master's degree revocation, Kim Keonhee will also lose her teaching certificate, which she obtained based on the non-examination qualification system.

According to Article 21-5 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a certificate is subject to revocation if it was obtained through fraudulent or other improper means. In addition, Article 22, Paragraph 1, Item 10 of the Regulation on Delegation and Entrustment of Administrative Authority, and Article 4 of the Enforcement Rules of the Teacher Certification Examination Decree, require the president of the relevant university to apply for the revocation of the qualification to the superintendent of education with jurisdiction over the location of the university.

An official from the Office of Education stated, "Upholding the legality and fairness of teacher qualifications is a fundamental principle of educational administration," and added, "We will handle the matter fairly in accordance with relevant laws and regulations after following the proper procedures and thoroughly hearing all opinions."