Kookmin University criticized for currying favor with new government
Kookmin University's Faculty Association held an emergency meeting Friday and expressed regrets over the university's decision earlier this month to clear first lady Kim Keon-hee of plagiarism allegations raised over her doctoral papers. The association said most professors who had attended the meeting could not sympathize with what appears to be the university's subjective conclusion.
After its months-long probe into Kim's four academic papers, Kookmin University concluded on Aug. 1 that her doctoral dissertation and two other papers "constitute neither plagiarism nor research misconduct that seriously deviates from the normally accepted range in academia." The Seoul-based school said it was impossible to verify whether there had been any misconduct in the fourth paper.
The decision has prompted a strong backlash from alumni, students and professors who claimed that the university had overlooked obvious plagiarism in light of her marriage to President Yoon Suk-yeol. And 13 academic associations blasted Kookmin University for having improperly verified Kim's papers. Some of them even urged the university to cancel the first lady's doctoral degree.
During Friday's faculty meeting, the majority of participants supported a proposal to reassess the four papers in question. But there was no conclusion due to a failure to meet the quorum. The faculty association will soon decide on whether to revalidate the papers through a meeting to be attended by the school's 407 professors.
The university still refuses to disclose the details of its assessment process, saying its decision is based on the findings of an independent investigation committee. But it is irresponsible for the school authorities to remain silent at a time when it is widely believed that the first lady's papers contained plagiarism. Given that paper verifications are the basic duty of higher learning institutions, Kookmin University ought to reevaluate Kim's controversial papers flawlessly, reflecting the opinions of its faculty association. If there were some flaws in its internal investigation, the school should entrust the work to an external agency. If not, the university cannot escape criticism for being in the pocket of the Yoon administration.
Kookmin University's Faculty Association held an emergency meeting Friday and expressed regrets over the university's decision earlier this month to clear first lady Kim Keon-hee of plagiarism allegations raised over her doctoral papers. The association said most professors who had attended the meeting could not sympathize with what appears to be the university's subjective conclusion.
After its months-long probe into Kim's four academic papers, Kookmin University concluded on Aug. 1 that her doctoral dissertation and two other papers "constitute neither plagiarism nor research misconduct that seriously deviates from the normally accepted range in academia." The Seoul-based school said it was impossible to verify whether there had been any misconduct in the fourth paper.
The decision has prompted a strong backlash from alumni, students and professors who claimed that the university had overlooked obvious plagiarism in light of her marriage to President Yoon Suk-yeol. And 13 academic associations blasted Kookmin University for having improperly verified Kim's papers. Some of them even urged the university to cancel the first lady's doctoral degree.
During Friday's faculty meeting, the majority of participants supported a proposal to reassess the four papers in question. But there was no conclusion due to a failure to meet the quorum. The faculty association will soon decide on whether to revalidate the papers through a meeting to be attended by the school's 407 professors.
The university still refuses to disclose the details of its assessment process, saying its decision is based on the findings of an independent investigation committee. But it is irresponsible for the school authorities to remain silent at a time when it is widely believed that the first lady's papers contained plagiarism. Given that paper verifications are the basic duty of higher learning institutions, Kookmin University ought to reevaluate Kim's controversial papers flawlessly, reflecting the opinions of its faculty association. If there were some flaws in its internal investigation, the school should entrust the work to an external agency. If not, the university cannot escape criticism for being in the pocket of the Yoon administration.
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