Kim Geon-hee's Doctorate Degree Revoked by Kookmin University

Kookmin University has officially annulled Kim Geon-hee's (김건희) doctorate degree from the Graduate School of Techno-Design. The university announced on July 21, 2025, that the decision was made due to the cancellation of her master's degree, which was found to be plagiarized. As a result, her admission to the doctoral program no longer meets the eligibility requirements. The university stated, 'The master's degree submitted by Ms. Kim at the time of her doctoral program admission has been officially revoked by her affiliated university. According to Article 33, Section 4 of the Higher Education Act, she has lost her eligibility for admission.' Consequently, Kim has lost both her master's degree from Sookmyung Women's University and her doctorate from Kookmin University. Previously, on June 24, Sookmyung Women's University officially canceled her master's degree, citing plagiarism in her thesis, which raised concerns about her admission to Kookmin's doctoral program. Following a review by the operating committee of the Graduate School of Techno-Design and the Graduate School Council, Kookmin University made the final decision to invalidate her doctorate degree. The university emphasized its commitment to maintaining the trust and ethics of the academic community in accordance with laws and regulations.