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Seoul education office revokes ex-first lady's teaching license over plagiarism ruling

Published: 04 Sep. 2025, 14:40

Former first lady Kim Keon Hee walks out of Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, after a questioning on Aug. 12. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education revoked the teaching license of Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, after her master’s degree was canceled for plagiarism.

Education officials said Thursday that the office recently completed a hearing process and withdrew her secondary school teaching qualification.

Kim, who is currently in pretrial detention at the Seoul Southern Detention Center, reportedly did not attend the hearing or submit a written opinion.

The office informed the former first lady through the detention center that she could review the hearing’s findings and transcript.

If she does not file an appeal, the revocation will become final.

The office said it will then notify the Education Ministry, Sookmyung Women’s University, which issued the license, and Kim.

Sookmyung Women's University’s research ethics committee ruled late last year that Kim’s master’s thesis contained plagiarized content. She did not appeal, making the finding final.

In June, Sookmyung Women's University's graduate school committee decided to cancel her master’s degree. Following that, Kookmin University, which had awarded her a doctorate, also nullified her doctoral degree in July.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]