[2023 National Audit] National Assembly Education Committee Audit Begins... Controversies Over Kim Geon-hee's Thesis, Lee Dong-gwan and Jeong Soon-shin's Children School Violence

62 Institutions Including Ministry of Education Under National Audit
Likely to Verify Delay in Kim Geon-hee's Thesis Review
Education Office Questioned on Decline in Teacher Authority

The National Assembly's Education Committee will conduct a government audit of 62 institutions, including the Ministry of Education and metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide, from the 11th to the 26th. During this audit, intense scrutiny is expected regarding allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Geon-hee's thesis, lawyer Jeong Sun-shin's child's school violence allegations, and the crisis of declining teacher authority.

On the 11th at 10 a.m., the Education Committee will hold a government audit at the National Assembly for eight institutions: the Ministry of Education, the National Education Commission, the National Institute of Korean History, the National Institute of Special Education, the Central Education Training Institute, the Teacher Appeal Review Committee, the National Institute for International Education, and the Secretariat of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology.

During the audit, allegations of plagiarism in First Lady Kim Geon-hee's thesis, which surfaced last year, are expected to be a major issue. Education committee members are likely to criticize Sookmyung Women's University for initiating an investigation into the plagiarism allegations of Kim's master's thesis last year but failing to reach any conclusion and delaying the review process.

In this regard, Sookmyung Women's University President Jang Yoon-geum, Hankyung National University Professor Seol Min-shin, and Kukmin Academy Chairman Kim Ji-yong were summoned as witnesses; however, all have submitted statements citing domestic and international business trips as reasons for their inability to attend, making their absence highly likely.

On the 15th, at the Education Committee plenary meeting held in the National Assembly, Kim Taegyu, the ruling party's secretary, and Kim Youngho, the opposition party's secretary, are having a conversation. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The Education Committee will also focus on verifying the 'school violence allegations involving lawyer Jeong Sun-shin's son.' Lawyer Jeong herself has been summoned as a witness. She was appointed head of the National Police Headquarters in February this year but resigned due to her son's school violence issues. Previously, in March and April, the opposition party held hearings, but they were canceled as Jeong did not attend, citing panic disorder. Opposition education committee members plan to investigate whether Jeong abused her position to delete records of her son's school violence.

The audit will also address the crisis of declining teacher authority. To question the case of a teacher at Uijeongbu Howon Elementary School who died after suffering from malicious complaints by parents, former Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education Lee Jae-jeong has been summoned as a witness.

On the 20th, during the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's government audit, allegations of school violence involving Lee Dong-gwan, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission's son, will also be addressed. Related witnesses summoned include former Hana Academy Chairman Kim Seung-yu, Hana High School Principal Jo Gye-seong, and Hana High School Chairman Kim Gak-young. Questions are expected regarding whether Chairman Lee intervened in 2011 to cover up his son's school violence incident.

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