A South Korean university has investigated allegations of academic fraud against Kim Keon Hee and concluded that she plagiarized her master's thesis.

Sookmyung Women's University began an investigation in 2022 after Kim was accused of falsifying a master's thesis submitted to the university in 1999 to pursue a graduate program in education.

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Ms. Kim Keon Hee once publicly apologized for allegations that she exaggerated her academic qualifications. Photo: Korea Joongang Daily

The private university in Seoul submitted its report to Ms. Kim in December last year, and she has until the end of this month to object to the findings. If the first lady files an appeal, the university will consider her request before making a final decision, Yonhap reported, citing an unnamed source.

This is not the first time Ms. Kim has been involved in controversy related to her academic qualifications.

In 2022, Kookmin University in Seoul cleared Kim of plagiarism after a months-long investigation into her doctoral thesis. Kim received her doctorate in design from the school in 2008.

According to The Korea Herald, Ms. Kim Keon Hee was born in 1972, majored in painting at Kyonggi University, then studied for a master's degree in art education and a doctorate in digital content design. There was a period when the first lady of South Korea taught at universities while pursuing a career in art and design. In 2007, she founded the exhibition planning company Covana Contents.

Although admired for her fashion sense and as a career woman, she has faced criticism for her academics. During her husband’s election campaign, Kim was accused of falsifying parts of her resume when applying for university teaching jobs between 2007 and 2013.

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