60s Given Probation for Forging Graduation Certificate to Upgrade Construction Technology Qualification Grade

Seoul Central District Court / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A man in his 60s who forged a high school graduation certificate by listing a non-existent department to raise his construction technology qualification level was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 13th, according to the legal community, Judge Donghee Lee of the Criminal Division 2 at the Seoul Central District Court sentenced A (62), who was indicted on charges of forgery of official documents and use of forged official documents, to six months in prison with a one-year suspension. The court stated, "The crime is not minor as he altered the 'department' name on the high school graduation certificate and submitted it to the Korea Construction Technicians Association," but also noted, "Considering that he immediately admitted to the forgery when the association requested verification."

Mr. A was tried for forging the department name on a graduation certificate from an industrial high school in Namhae, Gyeongnam, in April 2017, changing it from 'Sang-eop' (Commercial) to 'Geonchuk' (Architecture), and submitting it to the association. The association sent an official letter to the high school to verify the authenticity of the certificate and received a reply that there was no 'Geonchukgwa' (Architecture Department).

Investigations revealed that Mr. A committed this crime by exploiting the fact that graduates from construction-related departments can obtain higher-grade construction technology qualifications than those from unrelated departments. South Korea operates a construction technician system where individuals with certain educational backgrounds and experience can receive treatment equivalent to a professional engineer without taking an exam.

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