The nominee for Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of South Korea had to withdraw over allegations of misconduct during his term as president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He favoured all his family members for prestigious Fulbright scholarships to study in the United States. He also faced allegations of improperly holding an additional position at a company irrelevant to his subject of study.

Pusan National University announced the decision to revoke the 2015 admission of the former justice minister’s daughter to its medical school because her parents doctored her credentials. The admission regulations stipulate that applicants cannot be admitted if their documentation is false, and it can be cancelled even decades after graduation if fraud is discovered.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission’s investigation reveals that 10 national universities in South Korea allegedly misappropriated KRW9.4 billion of students’ tuition fees. The funds were intended to cover student guidance programmes and safety activities carried out by professors and staff during lunch hours, after work or on weekends. Employees at one of the national universities overstated the number of such activities by changing locations and clothes earning KRW1.2 billion.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is investigating Seoul’s education superintendent for abusing his authority following the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea complaint against him. The official undermined transparency and fairness by ordering certain departments to advance the employment of five teachers who were dismissed between July and August in 2018. They had previously worked in his election camp in 2008.

An audit conducted at Yonsei University In Seoul revealed 86 cases of irregularities including unfair admissions, evaluations, and recruitment issues, as well as allegations of misappropriation of university funds by professors who used the university ‘corporate cards’ to pay for nightclub entertainment and golf. Twenty-six staff and faculty members are subject to disciplinary action, and eight cases have been filed for violations of regulations including allegations of misconduct or embezzlement and violations of private school laws.

Over 90 medical students from Inha University in Incheon, west of Seoul, were found to have cheated during remote exams. They gathered at a specific location in a group of two to nine to take tests together or to compare their answers via telephone or social media platforms. To prevent its recurrence, the university demands students to submit an oath of academic honesty, use an online proctor system, and videotape themselves taking the tests. Those who are suspected of cheating could be required to take a verbal test.

In an effort to enhance fairness and transparency in college admissions, the government announced an increase of the traditional admissions track based on the nationwide college entrance exam, while reducing the rate of the non-standardized admissions track – based on other factors such as school grades and extracurricular activities.

In spite of ongoing accusations of academic fraud and financial crimes against his family, a former law professor was nominated as the new justice minister. His wife, also a professor, was accused of allegedly falsifying material that would have helped their daughter enter university and obtain scholarships. In a protest against the government, opposition leaders shave their heads.