ARCHIVE FOR THE KOREA

In a country where prestige is high for those with esteemed college degrees, the revelation that two high-profile public figures received diploma mill degrees has been shocking to those in Seoul, South Korea.

Although both of these celebrities – Lee Ji-young, an educational talk show host and Shin Jeong-ah, an art professor — claimed to have bachelors and masters degrees, investigations uncovered evidence that a high school diploma was the highest degree either had received. They listed degrees from Yale, the University of Kansas and the University of Brighton (England). These deceptions cost the perpetrators their societal position, salaries and honor when they were unceremoniously released from all employment positions.

An investigation spearheaded by these revelations has targeted the academic records of over 2,800 private institute teachers.  Officials intend to determine whether degrees included on resumes were actually awarded.

Korean parents, who choose private schools for their children based upon the prestige of teachers’ backgrounds have been particularly devastated by this scandal. Songpa Police Station officials are tracking down those who sell the fake diplomas; although they admit that the Internet has made their task difficult. They are also frustrated because the problem of diploma mills is increasing with the ease of running such businesses on the web.

Read the full story here.

diploma mill, Seoul, bachelors degree, masters degree, students, education

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