Fake document probe fuels concerns over local university misconduct

The main entrance of Honam University campus in Gwangju / Courtesy of Honam University

An investigation into a local university is expanding beyond visa irregularities, raising questions over broader systemic failures in student oversight and possible admissions-related misconduct, after more than 100 Chinese students were found to have submitted falsified degrees.

Initially framed as an issue tied to immigration paperwork, the case is now prompting scrutiny over whether the university may have knowingly overlooked the problem to boost its international student intake.

Honam University in Gwangju is under investigation after the apostilled academic documents of 112 Chinese students on D-2 visas were found to be falsified. The students began studying there in August last year. According to the Ministry of Justice, the U.S. university that the students claimed had issued their degrees either lost accreditation in the mid-to-late 2000s or were never accredited.

The Ministry of Education explained that the case primarily concerns immigration-related documents and is currently under investigation by the justice ministry, with further audits or measures to follow depending on the outcome. It said it is also monitoring whether there are issues related to university operations, including transfer admissions, academic programs and degree conferral, that warrant closer examination.

The visas of all 112 students have been revoked, with five who were in Korea at the time of the discovery ordered to leave the country.

As the case came to light, officials at other universities said Honam University’s international office had long been seen as problematic, and they had expected such an issue to surface eventually.

With falsified academic records submitted in large numbers yet still accepted for admission, the probe is expected to examine whether the university was involved in or knowingly overlooked dubious submissions by international students.

An on-site immigration service facilitates group fingerprint registration for international students at Honam University in Gwangju, Friday. Courtesy of Honam University

Furthermore, calls are growing to assess the overall integrity of the university’s processes, including its so-called “3 plus 1 transfer program,” allowing students who have completed three years at junior colleges in China to earn a bachelor’s degree after just one additional year at Honam University.

The structure effectively allows international students to earn a four-year Korean university degree within a year, raising concerns that the institution may have made it easier to attract overseas applicants.

According to data from the Korean Educational Development Institute, Honam University had 1,753 international students enrolled as of April 1, 2024, ranking 34th among 390 universities nationwide and 14th among 233 institutions outside of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province.

By nationality, Chinese students accounted for an overwhelming majority, with 1,474 students making up 84.1 percent of the total.

Meanwhile, five students ordered to leave the country filed a lawsuit, according to the legal sector Sunday. They argued that the immigration office’s decision to revoke their stay permits and issue departure orders was unjust.

The students claimed that they faithfully completed the U.S. university’s online courses and that their degree certificates had been officially apostilled by U.S. authorities.

They stressed that verifying the credibility of an apostille was beyond their capacity, saying they had followed the transfer process to Honam University through what they believed to be a reliable study abroad agency.

Honam University initially said it was taken aback by the situation and would cooperate with the investigation, adding that it was considering legal measures to protect the students’ right to study.

However, as the case widened, it has since declined to provide further details, repeatedly citing the ongoing investigation.