JAKARTA - Kookmin University plans to review the revocation of Kim Keon-hee's South Korean First Lady's doctorate, after the Sookmyung Women's University recently concluded that its master's thesis involved plagiarism.

A Kookmin University official told Hankook Ilbo on Tuesday that his party would consider Kim's doctoral status if Sookmyung Women's University officially canceled its master's degree.

"If Sookmyung decides to cancel his title based on his findings, Kookmin University will convene to review the validity of his doctorate," said Lee Eun-hyung, director of external affairs at Kookmin University, as reported by The Korea Times on January 15.

If Kim's master's degree is revoked, it will remove the qualifications required for her doctorate, so a review is inevitable. Based on Kookmin University graduate school regulations, equivalent master or academic credentials are required to register in a doctoral program.

The decision on Kim's doctorate rests with the Postgraduate School Committee, Kookmin University. The committee, which includes department heads and more or more members appointed by university president, makes decisions in majority votes. The process will begin with the Dean of Postgraduate School Design Tekno who held a meeting to propose the matter to the committee.

However, Kookmin University cannot continue deliberation unless Sookmyung Women's University first cancels Kim's master degree.

In fact, if the plagiarism decision is finalized, some experts argue it may not lead to the cancellation of the actual title.

The Sookmyung University Research Ethics and Integrity Committee ended its two-year investigation at the end of December, deciding Kim's thesis on plagiarism. Since then, they have informed Kim and the initial whistleblower.

Unless one side appeals within 30 days, the ruling will remain in effect. Under this decision, the ethics committee can recommend sanctions, including revoking or changing the thesis and notifying related journals or canceling titles.

The problem is the 1999 regulation of Sookmyung, which only discusses canceling a doctorate for actions that damage the reputation of the university. This clause was revised in 2010 to cover all titles, but retroactive enforcement is not guaranteed.

Sookmyung officials said they plan to consider implementing revised rules after the plagiarism decision is finalized.

Observers are skeptical about Kookmin University's willingness to revoke Kim's doctorate, citing her past actions.

In 2022, the university reviewed four of Kim's academic papers, including her doctoral dissertation, and concluded that three of them were not violations of research.

The fourth is deemed inappropriate to evaluate, triggering criticism for leniency of punishment. In particular, the dissertation contains errors, including an error in translating "membership retention" into "members of Yuji," with "Juji" as a Korean term that isromanized for "retention."

However, the university rejected this as a minor shortfall. Kim Ji-yong, chairman of the executive board of Kookmin University, who was elected as a witness for parliamentary audits over allegations of Kim's plagiarism in 2022, was not present for three consecutive years, on the pretext of traveling abroad.

Regarding Kim's possible doctoral dissertation review, Lee Eun-hyung said, "There is no possibility of a review."


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