Growing Suspicions over Fake Academic Scandal

Reports have it that excluding Hong Ki-sam, former president of the Dongguk University, none of the involved school’s personnel management officials were aware of Shin Jeong-ah, who was found to have forged her academic background. Shin was hired as a professor without going through the proper verification procedures since the post of the chief official in charge of faculty employment at the school was vacant.

The university commented on Aug. 29 that the president and the planning department under the president take charge of appointing faculty members, and that the position of chief personnel manager remained vacant at the time of Shin’s appointed as an assistant professor between mid-Aug and mid-Sept, 2005. In other words, Dongguk University named Shin as a professor in its art history department for the second semester of that year even without receiving the required documents including her transcripts and certificates.

With regard to this, a biotechnology professor Kim Byeong-shik, who was then vice-president and one of the screening committee members, said that he had thought the art department made a recommendation for Shin. Unlike his remarks, however, the department professors had strongly opposed and demanded the revocation of her appointment.

Buddhist monk Jinwol, who interviewed Shin during the screening procedures, said, “At the time, former president Hong said he would bring a competent person and I took his remark aboard.” Shim Ik-seop, an administration department professor, was appointed as the new chief personnel manager in mid-Sep, 2005. He said, “When I was assigned as the chief official in charge of the hiring faculty, Shin had already been hired and given a leave of absence.” Meanwhile, the Seoul Western District Attorney’s office, investigating the false academic credentials involving Shin, has decided to send a summons letter on Thursday to monk Jangyoon who for the first time raised suspicion over Shin’s fabricated academic background.

If the monk Jangyoon appears before the prosecution office, the prosecution will investigate Byeon Yang-gyun, presidential secretary for policy planning, for “pressing’’ him to protect Shin. An official of the prosecution said, “Hong Ki-sam will be summoned after the investigation of the Buddhist monk is complete. We believe the then president would not have decided her appointment and the board of directors seem to be involved,” indicating that the inquiry would expand to include the university board.

alwaysj@donga.com pen@donga.com