Show host denies plagiarism charges

By Baek Byung-yeul

Kim Mi-kyung

Popular self-help author and television personality Kim Mi-kyung is suffering a publicity crisis after being accused of cutting-and-pasting her way to a master’s degree.

Kim, 48, who currently hosts the ``Kim Mi-kyung Show’’ on cable network tvN and is president of W-Insights, a training institute for professionals, apparently used the same sentences from her previous studies for her 2007 master’s thesis in political science at Ewha Womans University.

Following the media reports, Kim issued a statement defending her 2007 paper, claiming the parts she reused were just basic definitions and theories of sexual harassment. The purpose of her study was distinguishable from her previous research, she said.

The study, titled ``Analysis on the effect of sexual harassment prevention training based on sexual equality awareness,” explored how Korea’s corporate culture leaves women vulnerable to sexual harassment. Sentences from four of Kim’s preceding studies were found to have been used in the paper.

``The part where I am accused of `plagiarizing’ my own work is only about the definition of linguistic sexual harassment and the basic concept of sexual harassment,” Kim said in a statement.

``I wrote the names of two original writers behind the definition of linguistic sexual harassment and the basic concept of sexual harassment in my thesis.’’

Ewha Womans University said it’s investigating the suspicions surrounding Kim.

“We plan to hold a committee meeting to decide whether more specific and rigorous analysis is needed,” the school said.

Cable channel tvN was reluctant to comment on the controversy.

``Nothing has been confirmed yet, so the Kim Mi-kyung show will stay on air,’’ said an official from the network.