Reportedly Recruiting 1,000 Graduate Students Without Notification or Contracts... Kyung Hee University Referred for Investigation

Ministry of Education Conducts Comprehensive Audit of Kyung Hee University: 2 Cases Referred for Prosecution, 3 for Investigation
Graduate School Admitted 1,000 Students Without Ministry Notification or Industry Pre-Contracts
Student Recruitment Outsourced, Company CEO Hired as Faculty, Including Overseas Trips

On the 30th, amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19, universities postponed the start of the semester and are conducting online classes. A student is passing in front of a bulletin board that is more than half empty at Kyung Hee University in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Kyung Hee University has been reported to the police on charges of recruiting over 1,000 graduate students at University A without notifying the Ministry of Education or signing contracts with industries.

On the 31st, the Ministry of Education conducted a comprehensive audit of Kyung Hee University and the Kyung Hee Foundation in May, resulting in demands for action on a total of 55 cases, including 2 reports and 3 requests for investigation.

Kyung Hee University admitted 1,039 students to the master's program contract departments without notifying the Ministry of Education or pre-contracting with 550 companies. Although agency recruitment is not allowed for contract departments, the university entrusted recruitment to three companies and paid 1.4 billion KRW. It paid 18 million KRW directly for recruiting 18 students not recruited by the companies, and 467 million KRW to 9 individuals designated by two entrusted companies as recruitment fees.

Kyung Hee University paid 661.1 million KRW to two representatives of the entrusted companies as recruitment fees and signed non-regular faculty employment contracts at much higher rates than the standard lecturer fees, citing their significant contribution to student recruitment. Furthermore, it was found that two faculty members traveled abroad privately eight times with the representatives of the student recruitment agencies. The Ministry of Education requested a police investigation and imposed severe disciplinary actions on two individuals, lighter disciplinary actions on another two, and warnings on four others.

There were additional illegal entrustment cases. Recruitment of learners for the Academic Credit Bank System was entrusted to four companies, paying 1.53 billion KRW under the name of agency management and promotion fees. Two companies paid 310 million KRW in recruitment fees to 11 individuals instead of the companies themselves. The Ministry of Education requested investigations along with severe disciplinary actions (2 people), lighter disciplinary actions (7 people), and warnings (3 people).

Kyung Hee Medical Center signed a private contract worth 111.3 billion KRW with Company C during the purchase of pharmaceuticals subject to general competitive bidding. The purchase price, previously supplied by another company at 87% of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's official insurance ceiling price, increased to 99%. Additionally, a private contract was signed with Company D, a profit-making business under the school foundation, for herbal medicine purchases worth approximately 8.9 billion KRW. The Ministry of Education requested police investigations along with lighter disciplinary actions (9 people) and warnings (3 people).

Moreover, Kyung Hee University improperly operated the 'Global Innovation Forum Program,' a non-degree course for training business leaders, and borrowed 820 million KRW from Bank B with five employees under the name of subsidiary research institute operating funds, failing to repay 230 million KRW. The subsidiary research institute's income (7.47 billion KRW) was not incorporated into the school fund accounting, and 7.3 billion KRW was spent. Records also revealed corporate card payments at entertainment establishments during abnormal hours.

Lenient disciplinary actions were also found against faculty members who committed crimes such as drunk driving. An employee sentenced to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation for three drunk driving offenses was given a 'salary reduction' instead of dismissal. No disciplinary actions were requested for five faculty members who were criminally charged for drunk driving and other offenses. There was also an incident where successful candidates were reversed due to errors in awarding bonus points for 'information qualifications' during the hiring of regular administrative staff.

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