The father of a South Korean high school girl studying in the United States apologized Thursday after her widely reported admissions to Harvard and Stanford universities were found to have been faked.

"I am sincerely sorry for causing trouble with what is not true," said Kim Jung-wook, father of the student, Kim Jung-yoon, in a statement emailed to Korean correspondents in Washington. "I offer an apology to all those involved."

The student, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia, became famous after reports that she was accepted to the two prestigious universities and has even been allowed to attend both schools without having to choose one.

Her family has said the two universities tried to persuade Kim to choose their schools because she was such a brilliant student, especially at mathematics, and they later agreed on a special plan to allow her to study at Stanford for the first two years and then at Harvard for another two years.

But a series of questions have since arisen about her admissions and earlier this week the two universities rejected the reports, calling the letters that Kim's family presented a "forgery."

"In fact, everything is my fault and my responsibility," the father said. "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 remark suggests the girl forged acceptance letters without the knowledge of her family due possibly to pressure to gain admission to prestigious colleges.

"From now on, the whole family will live a quiet life, devoting ourselves to getting the child cured well and taking good care of her. Please forgive me for being unable to offer detailed explanations as the situation has not been completely figured out yet."

Kim appealed to the media to refrain from reporting on this case any further.

"I earnestly plead with members of the media to refrain from reporting and video-taking so as for the child and the family to move on the path toward healing without any more wounds," he said. "I apologize again with my head down." (Yonhap)