Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
SNU Professor comes under fire for misdeeds
By Kim Rahn
Kim In-hye, one of the nation’s most popular sopranos, is facing growing public criticism as the Seoul National University (SNU) professor is accused of having used school facilities for personal reasons and made students do her bidding.
The allegation comes amid the school’s investigation into her allegedly receiving kickbacks and the habitual use of violence while teaching.
The school authorities recently obtained testimony from her pupils that she had ordered an assistant teacher to allow her the use of a school auditorium in January 2006 before her daughter took a singing test to gain admittance to the university.
The auditorium is used as a test venue and the school bans professors, students or anybody from using it for personal purposes.
Kim, 49, allegedly made the order twice, saying her daughter needed to practice before the test. The daughter was admitted to the vocal music department that year and is currently studying abroad since having graduated.
It was also found that she made about 10 of her pupils sing at her mother-in-law’s 80th birthday party last October.
A video clip spread on the Internet showed that a dozen students in dresses and tuxedos sang at the party held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul. Some of them sang solos, while two others presented operatic performances. Some of them were not Kim’s own pupils but studying under other professor’s.
The school authorities also secured testimony that Kim received money under the name of “tokens of gratitude” for helping students participate in performances. “Several students said Kim demanded money tacitly. When her pupils appeared in operas and didn’t give her money, they said she used abusive language and violence and denounced them for not knowing how to express appreciation,” a school official said.
After the allegations emerged, Kim was said to have demanded her pupils, graduates and their parents change their testimonies, and the school warned her not to interfere.
Kim submitted written answers to the inquiries from the school investigation team, Monday. Kim’s lawyer claimed that the allegations were exaggerated. Regarding those who sang at the relative’s party, she claimed she paid the students 2 million won.
The school authorities will hold a punitive committee session soon.
The investigation began in December after some students lodged a petition to claim she was often violent while teaching in the classroom and forced them to buy tickets to her concerts. She claimed that she was taught in the same way as her teaching methods and she did not think she was at fault.
Kim recently started to gain popularity after appearing on “Star King,” a TV entertainment show on SBS. The broadcaster said Sunday that she will stop appearing on the program.
By Kim Rahn
유명 소프라노 김인혜 서울대 교수가 학교 시설을 사적으로 이용하고 제자들을 마음대로 부려먹었다는 비난을 받고 있다.
학교측은 학생들로부터 김교수가 2006년 1월 자신의 딸이 입학 실기 시험을 치기 전에 조교에게 학교 강당을 대여하라고 명령했다는 진술을 확보했다. 그 강당은 실기시험 장소로 쓰이는 곳이고, 학교는 강당을 학생이나 교수 또는 누구에게도 개인적인 용도로는 사용할 수 없도록 하고 있다.
김교수는 딸이 연습을 해야 한다며 두 번 대여 명령을 내렸다. 김교수의 딸은 성악과에 입학했고, 졸업 후에 현재는 외국에서 공부중이다.
김교수는 또 작년 10월 10여명의 제자들을 시어머니의 팔순 잔치에 동원했다. 인터넷에 퍼진 동영상에 따르면 드레스를 갖춰 입은 학생들이 신라호텔에서 열린 잔치에서 노래를 하고 있고, 독창과 오페라도 불렀다. 그들 중 일부는 김교수의 제자가 아니라 다른 교수의 제자들이었다.