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[wylies99]

Hongik art professor cries for probe into fellow profs
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2897675

Punishment for admission corruption too light, he says
November 22, 2008
Kim Seung-yeon, 53, an art professor at Hongik University, said yesterday he would ask the university to press charges against seven professors who have been involved in manipulating student admissions by giving favorable scores to certain students.

�Seven professors have repeatedly committed corruption in the student admission process, and I�m going to ask the school to bring the case to prosecutors,� Kim said. This is the first time he revealed his name in relation to the accusation.

The university reprimanded two art professors last week for admissions-related fraud. The case resulted from Kim�s accusations, and was the first time that punishment has been meted out to faculty members as a result of an insider�s complaint.

Kim accused six print professors and one painting teacher. After a seven-month investigation, however, the school only handed down a two-month suspension to one professor and a two-month pay cut to another.

�The investigation hasn�t been conducted properly,� Kim said. �The punishment is too light.�

The professor who received the suspension showed other faculty members a past work of his son�s on the day of the drawing test during the 2008 admission process in order to get his son a favorable score.

The professor who had his pay cut passed a note containing the name of a particular student to professors.

�There is limit to what the school can do,� Kim said. �It should bring the case to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology or prosecutors.�

�The school will stay neutral. If an investigation by prosecutors takes place, we will wait for the result,� said Jeong Eun-soo, a university official.

Kim revealed to the press various ways of cheating he had experienced or heard of from others. He said the cheating often takes place on the day of the exam. Some professors check the artworks of students they favor and then inform the evaluator of specific pieces.

Kim said he has been asked to do the same thing numerous times in his 17 years as a professor. He said there were cases in which some students were notified of what was going to be on the drawing exam.

�What was revealed is only the tip of the iceberg,� said a Hongik University graduate. �If Professor Kim falls into jeopardy, the alumni will take action.�

In response, the professor who was slapped with the pay cut said, �Professors are given students� names all the time. But no professor gives favorable scores because of that.�

The Mapo Police Precinct said that it will begin an investigation if charges are pressed.



By Kang In-sik, Jang Joo-young JoongAng Ilbo [[email protected]]

[wylies99]

[cdninkorea]

Korea needs more brave people like this Kim Seung-yeon to blow the whistle against this sort of thing (if it's true).

[justaguy]

I wonder what would happen if a foreigner blew the whistle?

[Xuanzang]

He`s going to be ostracized for being a whistle blower and the university will just admit the kid and cover it all up...