Five Chinese students accused of falsifying academic credentials to attend Honam University challenged the government's order for them to leave the country immediately, claiming that their admission process was legitimate.
The plaintiffs filed an administrative lawsuit against the immigration office at the Ministry of Justice, saying that the visa revocation was unjust.
They claimed to have obtained an apostille after completing a US institution's online course. However, the institution was found to have lost accreditation in the mid-2000s.
The students argue it was not within their power to verify the validity of the apostille itself and that their admission to Hanam University was legitimate.
Honam University in Gwangju is currently under investigation by immigration authorities over allegedly accepting 112 students from China who used illegitimate certificates. The students were enrolled as third-year students in the university's four-year program last year.
The administrative case for the departure order will begin on June 11 in the related branch of the Gwangju District Court.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
