Professor at National University Caught Embezzling Research Funds for Personal Purchases, Including Car Tires

Purchased 55 Million Won Worth of Personal Items with Research Funds
Evidence of Cashing Out Research Funds Diverted to Suppliers

A professor at a national university has been caught on suspicion of embezzlement, including purchasing personal items worth tens of millions of won with research funds and attempting to cash out money through fictitious transactions with suppliers.

Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Government Complex Sejong. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

On April 27, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced that it had uncovered embezzlement of research funds by Professor A, who is affiliated with a national university, and referred the case to investigative authorities. Professor A is found to have diverted research funds from national research institutes and national universities to purchase personal items such as car tires and indoor exercise bikes, totaling 55 million won. There is also evidence that about 33 million won in research funds, funneled to suppliers, was converted into cash.

Professor A previously worked at National Research Institute B and, since 2020, has been teaching students at National University C while serving as the principal investigator for several research projects. At University C, research project leaders are allowed to directly purchase experimental equipment worth less than 3 million won using a research fund card. Professor A exploited this system by making multiple advance payments of less than 3 million won at experimental equipment suppliers over several years and then using the amounts as if they were personal reward points.

Furthermore, while working at Institution B, Professor A failed to return a leftover research fund balance of 38 million won paid to a supplier, and after transferring to University C, continued to use these funds to purchase personal items.

Items confirmed to have been purchased by Professor A include car tires, a massage machine, indoor exercise bike, washing machine, rice cooker, and mobile phones. All of these are household goods or electronic devices unrelated to research. Items such as a wireless vacuum cleaner and massage machine were delivered to Professor A’s residence, while a refrigerator and tennis equipment were handed over to acquaintances.

There is also evidence that Professor A conspired with a supplier to fabricate false transaction records as if there had been rental transactions for laboratory equipment worth 33 million won, in order to cash out the diverted research funds.

Lim Myungsoon, Vice Chairperson for Anti-Corruption at the commission, emphasized, “The private misuse of research funds, which are provided from public resources, is a serious illegal act that not only undermines the fair distribution of research resources but also damages research outcomes. Thorough investigation and strict punishment are necessary.”

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