[Comprehensive] 'History Lecturer' Seol Min-seok Accused of Historical Distortion and Thesis Plagiarism... Ultimately Withdraws from Broadcasting

"Admitted to a Complacent Attitude as an Educator" Bowed Head
Analysis by Plagiarism Verification Site Shows 52% Plagiarism Rate in Master's Thesis
Also Involved in 'Historical Distortion Controversy' on Broadcasts and YouTube

History lecturer Seol Min-seok / Photo by YouTube Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] History lecturer Seol Minseok, who faced controversy for inaccurately explaining history on his broadcasts and was also accused of plagiarism in his thesis, bowed his head, saying, "This is an inexcusable mistake on my part." Seol Minseok also announced that he would take responsibility for the controversy and withdraw from all the broadcasts he is currently appearing on.

Starting as a history lecturer on EBS and appearing on various entertainment and educational programs, Seol Minseok became known to the public as a so-called 'star lecturer.' Due to this, he has suddenly halted his broadcasting activities. Consequently, some of the programs in which Seol Minseok is a regular cast member are expected to face disruptions in filming.

On the afternoon of the 29th, Seol Minseok wrote on his Facebook, "I apologize for causing discomfort and concern to many people due to the plagiarism scandal involving my master's thesis reported today. I bow my head in apology." He added, "I admit that I was negligent in my research while writing the thesis and was careless in citing and footnoting other papers I referred to."

He continued, "I feel devastated for not living up to the excessive expectations and trust you have given me," and said, "I deeply accept responsibility and will withdraw from all broadcasts I am currently appearing on. I will humbly learn and study more."

On the same day, entertainment media outlet 'Dispatch' reported that Seol Minseok's master's thesis submitted to Yonsei University Graduate School of Education in 2010, titled 'A Study on Ideological Controversies in the Description of Modern and Contemporary Korean History Textbooks,' showed a high plagiarism rate. An analysis using the plagiarism detection site 'Copykiller' revealed a plagiarism rate of 52%. Generally, in university settings, a plagiarism rate below 20% on Copykiller is considered acceptable for thesis review.

Seol Min-seok giving a lecture on Egyptian history in tvN's 'Seol Min-seok's Naked History of the World.' / Photo by tvN

Meanwhile, Seol Minseok was also embroiled in a so-called 'historical distortion controversy' for delivering inaccurate historical information in a recent broadcast.

Earlier, he appeared on the tvN educational program Seol Minseok's Naked History aired on the 19th, where he explained Egyptian history. However, shortly after the broadcast, Egyptian archaeologist Kwak Minsu criticized on his Facebook, pointing out, "There are too many factual errors."

Kwak said, "It's hard to mention each one, and even the maps are all wrong," adding, "It seems the content I advised on was not well reflected. I suggest just not watching it."

Additionally, there was a 'music history distortion controversy.' On his recent YouTube channel, Seol Minseok explained the origin of the R&B (Rhythm and Blues) genre, stating that "R&B was born because jazz lost its original spirit."

Seol Min-seok explaining the origins of Rhythm and Blues (R&B) music on his YouTube channel / Photo by YouTube capture

However, an expert strongly criticized this as "complete falsehood." Music critic Bae Suntak wrote on his Instagram at the time, "This is another statement made without any study," and sharply questioned, "I really want to ask Seol Minseok if he has ever read even one original book covering the history of jazz, blues, electric blues, and early rock and roll."

As the controversy grew, on the 22nd, Seol Minseok bowed his head on his YouTube channel, saying, "This happened because I was lacking and insufficient," and added, "I will take this as a whip to do better and show you a more sincere and diligent preparation."

With Seol Minseok halting all broadcasting activities, the production of programs where he is a regular cast member, such as tvN's Naked History and MBC's Those Who Cross the Line, is expected to face difficulties.

Naked History was originally a program bearing Seol Minseok's name, and his role in Those Who Cross the Line is also significant.

Meanwhile, tvN, MBC, and others have not released official statements regarding Seol Minseok's decision to stop broadcasting.

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