By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Renowned architect and TV personality Lee Chang-ha allegedly have faked his academic records.
Lee said he had completed an undergraduate course at the University of Suwon and earned a bachelor's degree in fine art from New Bridge University in Los Angeles, the U.S., in 1992. He also said he entered Seoul National University (SNU) Art Department but had to drop out due to the bad financial status of his family.
However, according to local TV station SBS documentary program ``That's what we want to know,'' Lee did not take the undergraduate course at the University of Suwon _ instead he took a one-year advanced program for CEOs.
Also, the program staff found that Lee's name was not among the list of freshmen at SNU, and New Bridge University was established in 1995, three years after the graduation year he asserted.
Lee was well-known for his role on MBC's ``Love House,'' in 2001, where he displayed warm-heartedness and devotion to the poor by remodeling or reconstructing their run down houses.
The director of the then famous TV program said that Lee was recommended by many people for being an excellent architect and they did not require proper documentation because he did not hire Lee for his academic background, but his skill.
``He was really good to the economically underprivileged, and took care of them even after the program aired. We really thanked him a lot,'' he said. The former director said he still admires Lee for his good heart and that he hopes Lee's good field skills could be counted.
Lee is now the head of Kimcheon Science College department of space remodeling. He admitted his fabrication and said he would resign from his poisition at school.
His school has yet to make a public statement on the allegation.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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