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Scandal-ridden gender minister nominee extends 'heartfelt apologies' but does not step down

Published: 14 Jul. 2025, 18:57 Updated: 14 Jul. 2025, 19:43

Kang Sun-woo, nominee for minister of gender equality and family, responds to parliamentary questioning during her confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on July 14. [NEWS1]

President Lee Jae Myung’s picks for gender equality and education ministers are under fire over allegations of staff abuse and academic misconduct, fueling fresh controversy over ethical standards within his administration.

Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Kang Sun-woo issued a public apology Monday in response to accusations that she'd forced aides to run personal errands — including taking out her trash and repairing a broken toilet — and cycled through 51 staffers in just five years, dismissing 46.

“I sincerely regret that there has been controversy because of me,” Kang said during her confirmation hearing at the National Assembly’s Gender Equality and Family Committee. “I extend my heartfelt apologies to the aides who may have been hurt.”

Kang denied having threatened legal action against the former aide who had raised the allegations and promised to address other concerns in detail during the confirmation process.

“I will humbly accept where I fell short and strive to act with greater care and consideration,” she said.

Kang Sun-woo, nominee for minister of gender equality and family, responds to parliamentary questioning at her confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on July 14. [NEWS1]

While Kang sought to defuse the growing outrage, Education Minister nominee Lee Jin-sook was hit Monday with new claims of academic misconduct — including a claim that she'd helped students obtain doctorate degrees by repurposing her own research and vice versa.

Rep. Kim Min-jeon of the opposition People Power Party (PPP) cited multiple instances where Lee had appeared to recycle academic work between her own papers and students’ dissertations.

Lee Jin-sook, nominee for deputy prime minister and minister of education, answers questions from reporters as she arrives at the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety in Yeouido, western Seoul, on June 30. [YONHAP]

One student earned a Ph.D. in 2016 with a dissertation that heavily overlaps with two of Lee’s 2014 papers, including identical data on how interior color affects emotional perception. Plagiarism detection program Copykiller showed a 48 percent similarity between one paper and the dissertation — well above the 20 percent threshold commonly used to flag misconduct.

PPP Rep. Kim argued, "If Lee was indeed the primary author, that means the student’s dissertation lacked independence and initiative, which are grounds for invalidating the degree."

Lee Jin-sook, nominee for deputy prime minister and minister of education, talks to reporters as she arrives at the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety in Yeouido, western Seoul, on June 30. [NEWS1]

Lee also appears to have done the reverse. In May 2006, she published a paper on how texture and color affect building surfaces, listing herself as the lead author and another student as corresponding author. The student had defended a Ph.D. dissertation on a similar topic just three months earlier. Large sections — from experimental design to subjects, variables, charts and conclusions — were nearly identical, yielding a similarity index of 40 percent.

Lee had previously defended herself, claiming, "I was the actual author." If true, that would mean her students did not write their own dissertations, raising questions about the validity of their degrees.

Observers have found at least 10 cases following this pattern, where either Lee’s papers later formed the backbone of her students’ dissertations or the other way around. That number grows if master’s theses are included.

Lee’s office responded, "We will fully explain ourselves at the confirmation hearing."

Yoo Won-joon, director of the Korean Association of Private University Professors, speaks during a public briefing hosted by a coalition of academic associations on July 14 at BND Partners' Seoul Station branch in Jung District, central Seoul, to present findings on the thesis records of Lee Jin-sook, nominee for deputy prime minister and minister of education. [YONHAP]

Meanwhile, a coalition of 11 groups, including the Korean Association of Private University Professors — part of the broader group of academic associations that previously investigated former first lady Kim Keon Hee’s thesis — said Monday it had reviewed Lee’s papers and found 21 with serious problems.

That included eight cases where Lee published students’ dissertations under her own name as first author without clarifying they were the students’ work. Some papers had plagiarism rates as high as 56 percent.

"Lee argues she was the actual author of these works," the coalition said. "But if an advisor is the true author of a dissertation, that means the student did not write it. Insisting otherwise amounts to abandoning the responsibilities of an educator."

The group warned that Lee’s case could have far more serious repercussions for higher education than past controversies did.

"If these errors are overlooked, universities will be forced to apply double standards in evaluating theses and research reports," it said.

It also pointed out that past education minister nominees embroiled in plagiarism controversies had all stepped down voluntarily, urging Lee to do the same.

Lee’s office pushed back, saying of the 21 papers flagged, only 16 were distinct once duplicates were removed. Of those, "Nine were already cleared by research ethics panels that found no misconduct. We are prepared to sufficiently explain the rest."

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN, KIM MIN-WOOK, KIM CHANG-YONG, LEE BO-RAM [[email protected]]