Sookmyung Women's University commences process to take away degrees that were wrongfully acquired from before exisiting rule was put in place in 2015
Kim Keon Hee, the wife of disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, could have the master's degree she received in 1999 revoked on grounds of plagiarism if a proposed rule change is approved at Sookmyung Women's University.
The school began the process of revising its regulations on rescinding degrees, which would allow officials to revoke degrees awarded before June 13, 2015, the date the current policy was implemented.
The current rule states that those who qualified for accreditation using wrongful means must have it revoked. The proposed change would make this clause retroactive, enabling the school to take Kim's degree away.
Sookmyung will receive feedback on the revision from members of the school until May 25. The rule chnge will be confirmed after deliberation via related committees within the school.
If Kim's degree from the university is annulled, it could also jeopardize her doctoral degree from Kookmin University, since a master's degree is a prerequisite for admission to a doctorate program.
Kim has been subject to public scrutiny over allegations that she plagiarized her thesis for her master's degree in art education from Sookmyung. Despite the initial claims being made in 2022 by an alumni group, the school commenced investigation into the matter in December 2024, and confirmed the plagiarism in January.
Last week, students and faculty members of the school called on Sookmyung officials to strip Kim of her degree, in a press conference in central Seoul.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
