President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee ride in a car during their state visit to the Netherlands on Dec. 12, 2023 / Yonhap

Kookmin University plans to review the revocation of first lady Kim Keon Hee's doctorate after Sookmyung Women's University recently concluded that her master's thesis involved plagiarism.

A Kookmin University official told the Hankook Ilbo on Tuesday that the institution would deliberate the status of Kim's doctorate if Sookmyung Women's University officially nullifies her master's degree.

"If Sookmyung finalizes the cancellation of her degree based on its findings, Kookmin University will convene to review the validity of her doctorate," said Lee Eun-hyung, the university's external affairs director.

If Kim's master's degree is revoked, it would eliminate the qualifications required for her doctorate, making a review unavoidable. Under Kookmin University's graduate school regulations, a master's degree or equivalent academic credentials is required to enroll in a doctoral program.

The decision on Kim's doctorate lies with the Kookmin University Graduate School Committee. This committee, which includes department heads and five or more members appointed by the university president, makes decisions through majority votes. The process begins with the dean of the Graduate School of Techno Design convening a meeting to propose the matter to the committee.

However, Kookmin University cannot proceed with deliberations unless Sookmyung Women's University first cancels Kim's master's degree. Even if the plagiarism ruling is finalized, some experts suggest it may not lead to actual degree cancellation.

The Sookmyung University Research Ethics and Integrity Committee concluded its two-year investigation in late December, ruling Kim's thesis as plagiarism. They have since notified Kim and the original whistleblower.

Unless either party appeals within 30 days, the ruling will stand. Based on this decision, the ethics committee could recommend sanctions, including retracting or amending the thesis and notifying related journals or canceling the degree.

Complicating matters is a 1999 regulation from Sookmyung, which only addressed doctorate degree cancellations for actions damaging the university's reputation. This clause was revised in 2010 to include all degrees, but retroactive enforcement is not guaranteed.

Sookmyung officials said they plan to deliberate on the applicability of the revised rules once the plagiarism verdict is finalized.

Observers are skeptical about Kookmin University's willingness to revoke Kim's doctorate, citing its past actions. In 2022, the university reviewed four of Kim's academic papers, including her doctoral dissertation, and concluded that three did not constitute research misconduct.

The fourth was deemed inappropriate for evaluation, sparking criticism for leniency. Notably, her dissertation contained errors, including the mistranslation of "membership retention" as "member Yuji," with "Yuji" being the romanized Korean term for "retention."

However, the university dismissed these as minor flaws. Kim Ji-yong, chairman of the executive board of Kookmin University, who was selected as a witness for parliamentary audits regarding Kim's plagiarism allegations in 2022, avoided attendance for three consecutive years, citing overseas trips.

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

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.