Assemblyman Kim Junhyeok: "Private Universities Must Restore Public Trust Through Self-Purification of Corruption" [University Transformation](18)

Assemblyman Kim Junhyeok of the National Assembly's Education Committee, Democratic Party of Korea
"Structural Reform of Private Universities Is Essential
for Advancing to World-Class Institutions"
Partial Amendment to the Private School Act Enforced
Faculty Appointment Canceled for Hiring Corruption
Universities Must Enhance Transparency on Their Own
Innovation in the AI Era Must Begin with People
A Supportive Environment for Research Is Needed

"In order to become a 'world-class university,' structural reform of private universities is necessary."

On October 2, in a written interview with Asia Economy, Assemblyman Kim Junhyeok of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, stated, "The more reckless groups seek power and personal gain through the management of private universities, the harder it becomes for universities to fulfill their proper roles." He emphasized, "Since it is impossible for the government to endlessly increase support, private universities must develop their own educational and research capabilities."

This year, an audit by the Ministry of Education exposed the realities on university campuses. One private university was criticized as a 'department store of corruption,' with incidents such as hiring family members and inflating travel expenses, while at another national university, underpayment of research funds was discovered, resulting in the recovery of hundreds of millions of won. There have also been cases where inadequate reports following faculty overseas training led to institutional warnings.

Assemblyman Kim said, "If these issues are repeated, public trust in universities collapses, and ultimately, students, local communities, and industries become the victims." He added, "Efforts to reform laws and systems must be accompanied by universities' own self-purification efforts." He further stated, "Private schools are a pillar that responsibly supports the educational policies of South Korea. Even though they are part of the private sector, responsibility, expertise, and morality are required. In particular, corruption in the hiring process is a grave issue that shakes the very foundation of trust in universities."

As an institutional safeguard to prevent such problems, Assemblyman Kim sponsored the 'Partial Amendment to the Private School Act,' which allows for the cancellation of appointments if misconduct is discovered in the hiring process of private university faculty. This law went into effect on September 19. He explained, "This law not only prevents hiring corruption but also fundamentally encourages universities to autonomously enhance fairness and transparency."

Assemblyman Kim also stated that structural reform of private universities is necessary for the mutual prosperity of universities and their surrounding regions. He pointed out that private universities, which have contributed to regional development for decades, cannot attract outstanding talent if they fail to respond in a timely manner to management difficulties, population decline, and industrial changes. He also noted that if structural corruption, to the extent of being called a 'den of academic corruption,' emerges, university growth becomes impossible.

He diagnosed that only after the structure of private universities is improved can they advance to become world-class institutions. Assemblyman Kim said, "Universities must remain faithful to their fundamental functions, but also be able to fulfill the roles demanded by the times and society." He added that the 'Creating Ten Seoul National Universities' initiative being promoted by the Lee Jaemyung administration is in line with this direction. He further explained, "Regional flagship national universities should achieve differentiated specialization in various fields, and, if necessary, the structure should be designed to enable multidisciplinary and convergent research, thereby raising the nation's overall research capabilities."

He also stressed that innovation in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) must begin with the people in research settings. Assemblyman Kim said, "While preparing for the recent National Assembly audit, I once again learned of deaths among researchers in science and engineering labs at leading domestic universities." He criticized, "If power abuse by supervising professors and excessive competition and burnout are left unchecked, the outflow of highly skilled talent will continue." He also stated that an environment conducive to advanced technology research utilizing AI must be created. He said, "Who would want to conduct research in a system where it takes several months just to purchase a single piece of equipment?" and added, "Even while pursuing results, we must build a community where members can take pride."