South Korean President’s Cabinet picks hit by plagiarism, staff mistreatment claims

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The opposition parties have called for the withdrawal of South Korean President Lee Jae-myungs picks to head the education and gender equality ministries.

PHOTO: REUTERS

SEOUL – South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s picks to head the education and gender equality ministries are facing allegations that have sparked calls for their withdrawal.

Ms Lee Jin-sook, nominated for education minister – a position that doubles as deputy prime minister, has been accused of plagiarising an earlier paper by her student while she was a professor.

According to a page-to-page analysis of Ms Lee’s paper and her student’s, released by main opposition People Power Party (PPP) Representative Joo Jin-woo, some of the nominee’s paragraphs exactly matched those written by her student.

He claimed that “about half of her paper had been copied off her student’s”.

“This isn’t your typical academic plagiarism. The education minister nominee abused her authority as a professor to rip off her student’s paper. This is easily a crime of abuse of power,” he added.

The PPP said Ms Lee committed serious ethical violations in the academic community and was unfit for the position.

Ms Lee, a professor of architecture, served as president of Chungnam National University in South Chungcheong province. She was part of Mr Lee’s presidential campaign, heading a committee for beating elitism in college education.

Representative Kang Sun-woo, a human development expert-turned-Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, who has been nominated as minister of gender equality, is also under scrutiny.

She faces accusations of “gapjil”, allegedly mistreating