Busan University of Foreign Studies Accepts Non-Graduate Applicant for Graduate School Final Admission

Ministry of Education Announces Busan University of Foreign Studies Audit Results: 31 Actions Taken, 2 Cases Referred for Investigation
Applicants to Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation Who Did Not Submit Graduation or Transcript Certificates Were Accepted
Professor Giving A+ to Students Who Missed One-Third of Classes and Had Poor Attendance Also Detected

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Busan University of Foreign Studies has been found to have admitted applicants who did not obtain a bachelor's degree and did not submit graduation certificates while recruiting new graduate students.

On the 23rd, the Ministry of Education took action on 31 cases and requested an investigation on 2 cases following a special audit of the Seongji Academy Foundation and Busan University of Foreign Studies.

Busan University of Foreign Studies admitted applicants who did not submit the required documents, such as graduation certificates and transcripts, while recruiting new students for the Interpretation and Translation Graduate School in the first semester of the 2020 academic year.

Although the academic background inquiry for the applicant returned a response from the previous university stating "no degree obtained," the applicant was processed as if they had obtained the degree. The student was expelled on October 21 during the audit period. The Ministry of Education requested mild disciplinary action for two individuals and referred the matter for investigation.

It was also revealed that one professor at Busan University of Foreign Studies did not conduct 15 hours of a 45-hour course but falsely recorded attendance for two students as having attended all 45 hours and awarded them A+ grades. The Ministry of Education requested mild disciplinary action against the professor.

Fourteen professors who gave grades to 33 students who did not meet attendance requirements received warnings. These 14 professors awarded B to D grades to students who were absent for a quarter of the class time and should have received an F.

Busan University of Foreign Studies classified applicants' alma maters into three tiers during staff recruitment document screening and assigned differential scores over three rounds. It was also revealed that corporate executives participated in the interview evaluations for hiring faculty and staff.

Of the 1 billion KRW bond approved by the Ministry of Education in September 2015 for campus relocation, Busan University of Foreign Studies transferred only 420 million KRW to the school expense account, while the remaining 580 million KRW was used for interest expenses on existing corporate loans.

Additionally, it was uncovered that corporate cards were issued for three years to consulting service contractors who were not authorized to use them, allowing them to use business promotion expenses. The school arbitrarily recorded expenses incurred by the consulting service contractors as 30.73 million KRW in business promotion expenses. The Ministry of Education has requested an investigation into this matter.

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