During this year's National Assembly Education Committee audit, various allegations of misconduct at major private universities, including nepotism in hiring and misuse of school funds, were brought to light. Civic groups and academic organizations are urging a complete overhaul of the Ministry of Education's inadequate management and oversight system, advocating for the establishment of an independent, permanent body called the 'Private University Oversight Agency.'
The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) held a press conference on November 11 in Jongno, Seoul, alongside several academic organizations, including the Seoul Metropolitan Private University Professors' Union and the National Union of Professors of Korea. They presented the results of their evaluation of the 2026 National Assembly Education Committee's oversight of private university reforms and called for fundamental reforms in the oversight system.
According to CCEJ's analysis, the National Assembly Education Committee's audit on October 23 raised issues regarding hiring, personnel, accounting, and governance at eight private universities: Samyook University, Calvin University, Hanyang University, Gimpo University, Gangdong University, Shinhan University, Hongik University, and Seoul Science Institute.
During the audit, Representative Kim Moon-soo highlighted structural problems at seven private universities. Allegations included research ethics violations involving the president of Samyook University, irregularities in hiring practices at Calvin University, and issues related to disciplinary actions at Hanyang University. Gimpo University faced criticism for failing to address previous audit findings from the Ministry of Education.
Additionally, concerns were raised about Gangdong University’s handling of hiring practices following a criminal conviction for score manipulation, Shinhan University’s repeated disciplinary actions despite protective measures for whistleblowers, and Hongik University’s failure to comply with a decision from the faculty grievance committee, resulting in a fine from the Ministry of Education.
Representative Park Beom-gye criticized the privatization and lack of transparency in the governance of the Seoul Science Institute, pointing out the board's composition favoring relatives and associates, as well as allegations of misappropriation of approximately 14 billion won in school funds.
The Ministry of Education was found to have inadequately responded to serious allegations, despite having received reports through the National Petition System and the Private University Misconduct Center. This prompted the Minister to confirm the facts and conduct an audit.
CCEJ concluded that these instances reflect the structural limitations of the current oversight system centered around the Ministry of Education, which has repeatedly failed to address misconduct effectively. For example, despite multiple audits revealing violations of special hiring procedures at Hanyang University and its affiliated foundation, some penalties were limited to mere 'institutional warnings,' leading to delays in the publication of audit results.
In the past three years, ten universities have been implicated in admissions fraud, with 433 reports submitted to the Ministry of Education's newly established admissions fraud reporting center by August 2023. However, internal university misconduct often comes to light only after being publicized by the National Assembly, media, or whistleblowers, resulting in delayed audits.
CCEJ pointed out that, as seen in the cases of Gangdong University, Shinhan University, and Hongik University, even after court rulings or protective measures for whistleblowers, universities have failed to comply or have retaliated against staff, undermining post-management and rights protection systems.
In response, CCEJ proposed the establishment of an independent, permanent oversight body, the 'Private University Oversight Agency,' to overcome the conflicts of interest and personnel limitations faced by the Ministry of Education, which currently holds both policy-making and oversight functions.
CCEJ outlined seven key functions and tasks for the proposed oversight agency, including the establishment of laws for an independent oversight body, continuous accounting audits of school corporations and government-funded projects, investigations into the legality and fairness of hiring and disciplinary procedures, transparency in board operations, protection for whistleblowers, and mandatory verification of corrective actions following audits.
CCEJ emphasized, 'While the autonomy of private universities must be respected, it cannot justify the privatization of school corporations, hiring misconduct, misuse of school funds, or the suppression of whistleblowers.' They added, 'Given the substantial public funding allocated to educational institutions, they must demonstrate corresponding public accountability and transparency.'
CCEJ urged the government and the National Assembly not to treat the allegations against the eight private universities raised during this year's audit as a one-time inquiry but to conduct thorough audits and ensure corrective actions are implemented. They called for immediate legislative action to establish the 'Private University Oversight Agency' to prevent future misconduct and hold institutions accountable.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.