Yoo Eun-hye: "Plan for Re-examination of Kookmin University Thesis Missing... Resubmission Requested by 18th"

Kookmin University Responds to Ministry of Education on the 8th with Only a Plan to Review 'Preliminary Investigation' Process and Regulations
Yoo Eun-hye: "Substantive Re-examination Plan Missing from Preliminary Investigation Results"
Kookmin University to Conduct Internal Investigation on Appropriateness of Doctoral Degree Examination and Conferment Process
Kookmin University Requests Interpretation of 'Transitional Regulations'... Maintains Existing Position on 'Establishing Research Ethics'

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education has decided to request the resubmission of the investigation plan regarding allegations of misconduct in the doctoral dissertation of Kim Gun-hee, wife of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol.

At a briefing with the press corps held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 12th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye stated, "The official letter submitted by Kookmin University included a plan to review the preliminary investigation results and a plan for an internal investigation into the appropriateness of Ms. Kim's doctoral degree examination and conferral process."

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said, "The plan to review the preliminary investigation results from Kookmin University only included a plan to review the 'preliminary investigation process and regulations,' but did not contain a substantive plan to re-examine the existing preliminary investigation results. We will request again that a substantive action plan for dissertation verification be submitted by the 18th of this month."

Additionally, Kookmin University requested an authoritative interpretation from the Ministry of Education regarding the 'transitional provisions' included in the supplementary regulations of the Research Ethics Committee.

Earlier in July, Kookmin University's Research Ethics Committee announced through the preliminary investigation committee that it would not conduct a full investigation on Ms. Kim's doctoral dissertation, citing that the verification period had expired. The Ministry of Education revised the 'Guidelines for Securing Research Ethics' in 2011 to abolish the statute of limitations and recommended universities to do the same, using this as grounds to instruct Kookmin University to establish a re-investigation plan.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo stated, "Today, we plan to send an official letter to Kookmin University providing an authoritative interpretation and requesting an immediate response," adding, "To establish research ethics, we have abolished the verification statute of limitations and guided several universities accordingly. Based on this intent, we will request Kookmin University to establish and implement a substantive action plan for dissertation verification."

She further emphasized, "The abolition of the verification statute of limitations is the result of over ten years of institutional improvement efforts by the Ministry of Education and academia to establish research ethics," and said, "Even though institutional improvements have been made to strengthen research ethics, it is unacceptable for these not to be implemented institutionally at the school level."

The Ministry of Education plans to check the implementation status of research ethics system improvements not only at Kookmin University but also at other universities.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo stressed, "Despite various institutional improvements such as abolishing the verification statute of limitations after revising the research ethics guidelines over the past ten years since 2011, the reason research ethics have not been firmly established is due to various interpretations at each school," and added, "I believe Kookmin University can conduct a sufficient internal investigation."

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