Allegations Against Ministerial Candidates Ahead of Hearings

As the confirmation hearings for the first cabinet of President Lee Jae-myung are set to begin on July 14, allegations of plagiarism, violations of agricultural land laws, and real estate speculation have surfaced against several candidates. Many of the nominees have opted to state that they will clarify the facts during the hearings rather than addressing the issues directly.

Lee Jin-sook (이진숙), the nominee for Minister of Education, is facing scrutiny for her paper titled 'Emotional Evaluation of Lighting Design through Case Studies of Nighttime Landscape Lighting in Apartment Complexes,' published in March 2009. Critics have pointed out that it bears striking similarities to a master's thesis by her student, Kim, submitted just a month earlier, including identical tables and images. Lee participated as the advisor for Kim's thesis and published her own work shortly thereafter, listing herself as the first author and Kim as a co-researcher.

Both papers even contain identical erroneous sentences. For instance, Lee's paper includes the phrase 'has not been used,' which also appears in Kim's thesis.

Additionally, Lee's 2003 paper titled 'Experimental Study for Correction of Unified Glare Rating (UGR) and Subjective Evaluation of Discomfort Glare' has been criticized for its similarities to a master's thesis by her student Kwon, submitted in August 2002. The expression 'can significantly increase' in Kwon's thesis is mirrored in Lee's paper as 'can significantly increase.'

Joo Jin-woo (주진우), a member of the People Power Party, has formally requested an investigation into the plagiarism allegations from Chungnam National University. The Democratic Party has commented that while it may not be outright plagiarism, it exists in a gray area, suggesting that clarifications can be made during the hearings. The 'National Verification Group,' an academic organization that previously scrutinized First Lady Kim Geon-hee's thesis, has reportedly found issues with Lee's work that violate research ethics and plans to demand her resignation.

Furthermore, it has come to light that Lee violated the Elementary and Secondary Education Act by sending her children abroad for early education. According to the office of People Power Party member Kim Min-jeon (김민전), while working as a professor at Chungnam National University in 2006-2007, Lee enrolled her two daughters in a boarding high school in the United States. Her second daughter entered an American school in 2007 without completing the mandatory education process, and legally, parents are required to be present in the U.S. at that time, while Lee was in Korea. Lee expressed regret, stating, 'I feel sorry for not meeting the public's expectations.'

Four ministerial candidates, including Koo Yoon-cheol (구윤철) for the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Jeong Dong-young (정동영) for the Ministry of Unification, Jeong Eun-kyeong (정은경) for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Han Seong-sook (한성숙) for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, are also under investigation for violations of agricultural land laws. Some candidates purchased agricultural land far from their residences and submitted inadequate farming plans, claiming 70-100% of their labor capacity in the 'Agricultural Management Ability' section. Under current law, individuals who do not farm are in violation of agricultural land ownership regulations.

According to the office of People Power Party member Kim Ki-hyun (김기현), Jeong Dong-young's spouse, Min, submitted an agricultural management plan when purchasing 2030㎡ of farmland in Jeonbuk's Sunchang County in January 2021, but failed to include details on 'current agricultural machinery and equipment' or 'plans for agricultural machinery and equipment.' In the labor force section, Min marked 'O' under 'self-labor,' indicating an intention to farm solely by personal effort. A representative from Kim's office stated, 'According to the law at the time, the agricultural management plan must include the area of farmland, actual use of owned farmland, and plans for agricultural machinery, but Min submitted a plan that was nearly blank. Upon visiting the site, there were no signs of farming, raising suspicions that the farmland acquisition certificate was issued illegally.'

Han Seong-sook, the nominee for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, purchased 1151㎡ of farmland in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, in May 2010, listing her occupation as 'self-employed' and stating that 70% of her labor would come from herself. According to the office of People Power Party member Koo Ja-geun (구자근), this was during a time when Han was living in Seoul and serving as a director at Naver in Bundang. Han explained the agricultural-related allegations, saying, 'Overall, it aligns with the intent of self-farming, but there were some shortcomings.'