Ha Tae-kyung "Ministry of Education, Investigate Park Ji-won for Admission Fraud"... Yoo Eun-hye "Will Report to Hearing"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the Future United Party, and Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, engaged in a dispute regarding allegations of admission fraud involving Park Ji-won, the nominee for the National Intelligence Service director.

On the afternoon of the 24th, during a government questioning session at the National Assembly, Rep. Ha claimed that Park had falsified his academic credentials from Dankook University and demanded an investigation by the Ministry of Education led by Deputy Prime Minister Yoo.

Rep. Ha argued that Park was admitted to Dankook University in 1965 based on documents from Chosun University, which Park never attended. The basis for this claim is that although the actual school attended was a two-year junior college, Park was credited with five semesters and transferred as a sophomore.

He stated, "When I transferred, even if you graduated from a four-year university, only two years were recognized. Non-related major courses were not credited, only general education courses were accepted, so this was natural," reiterating his suspicions and calling for an investigation by the Ministry of Education.

In response, Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said, "If we consider the current legal enforcement basis, there are points that should be emphasized," but also drew a line by saying, "There may be differences between schools, and the regulations in 1965 differ significantly from those now." He added, "Since Dankook University and nominee Park have different statements, it is necessary to first verify the facts," and "I believe it should be clarified through a confirmation hearing."

When Rep. Ha again urged the Ministry of Education to investigate, Yoo replied, "Since the facts and positions differ, it is impossible to make a definitive judgment. I believe the nominee's official position should be confirmed during the confirmation hearing," and "After reviewing the hearing process and results, we will comprehensively decide whether to conduct an investigation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.