The University of Suwon is suspected of irregularly appointing the daughter of a political heavyweight as its faculty despite her ineligibility for the post, a civic group alleged Tuesday.

The daughter of the ruling Saenuri Party chairman Kim Moo-sung is working as an assistant professor of the university’s college of art & design in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

While the prosecution on Monday cleared the university of any irregularity, the Peoples’ Solidarity for Participatory Democracy has expressed its will to file a litigation with the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office.

The civic group alleged that she fell short of the eligibility criteria for the position, according to which any applicant with a master’s degree (without a doctorate) should have experience of four years or more in academia or industrial research.

The PSPD argues that Kim’s daughter should not be considered for the post as she has only two years education and three years and four months in research.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office dismissed the charges as it reportedly viewed that her “combined” career of five years and four months in the two segments fulfilled the minimum requirement of four years.

The prosecution also said it found no evidence to prove speculation that Saenuri chief Kim had pressured the university to appoint his daughter as an assistant professor.

The civic group, in its initial filing of a complaint, further claimed that the president of the university could avoid being called to the National Assembly as a witness during the parliamentary audit into the overall education sector in return for hiring Kim‘s daughter.

It highlighted the fact that she was appointed to the post in August, two months before the Assembly audit started.

But the investigative agency also dismissed the allegation that the university was given any favors.

The PSPD has denounced the prosecution, saying that it “carried out a lenient probe into the case as it has no willingness toward scrutiny.”

The prosecution said it probed some of the university staff and administrative employees at the National Assembly. Chairman Kim was indirectly probed via written-questions.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)