Seoul: Sookmyung Women's University announced on Tuesday the cancellation of former first lady Kim Keon Hee's master's degree following the conclusion that she plagiarized her thesis. The decision was made by a committee under the university's graduate school of education to uphold research ethics and enhance academic credibility.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim, who is the wife of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, received her master's degree from the university based on a thesis submitted in 1999. The university initiated an investigation into the plagiarism allegations against her in mid-December 2022.
Shortly after Sookmyung's announcement, Kookmin University revealed it has also started the process to revoke Kim's doctoral degree. The university stated that under the Higher Education Act, a master's degree is required for admission to a doctoral program. Therefore, if the master's degree is revoked, the individual becomes ineligible for the doctoral program.