Havard-Stanford math prodigy hoax reflects Korea`s twisted view of academic backgrounds

The father of a South Korean high school girl studying in the United States on Friday admitted that her widely reported admissions to both Harvard and Stanford universities were found to have been a hoax, offering an apology.

"I am deeply repentant that I failed to watch properly over how painful and difficult a situation the child has been in so far and that I even aggravated and enlarged her suffering," the father wrote in an e-mail to South Korean correspondents in Washington D.C.

The apology has put an end to the success story of a "genius girl" that was envied by many parents. The girl`s parents brought the disgrace upon themselves by unilaterally expanding the claim by their daught, who appeared to be obsessive about university entrance, without logically checking it.

The girl lied to two South Korean radio talk shows, without hesitation, that the two universities had made a "special case" for her, showing the ugly side of South Korean society`s often blind pursuit of prestigious academic backgrounds.

In the 2007 scandal involving curator Shin Jeong-ah`s forgery of her academic backgrounds, Yale University was used. This time, the girl used Harvard and Stanford. The latest scandal also left scars in the hearts of many South Koreans who took pride in her accomplishments, and in the names of South Korean media that reported the news.

The social obsession about diplomas of prestigious universities and parents` excessive expectations could put pressure on their children and push them to a verge of a psychological cliff. The better a student performs, the more psychological pain he or she could suffer from due to stresses over their achievements.

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Hollywood actor Robert De Nero`s commencement speech to New York University became the talk of the town earlier this year. "A new door is opening for you—a door to a lifetime of rejection," he said, advising graduates to never lose hope even if they get rejected or fail in auditions. Caring too much about what others think about oneself, one cannot develop the will and skills to fight the cold realities. It is parents` role to help their children assess their own value accurately and be liberated from vane reputations.