Singer Hong Jin-young (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — A number of South Korean celebrities have recently come under fire for plagiarizing academic papers.
Singer Hong Jin-young and popular history lecturer Seol Min-seok recently issued official apologies following accusations that they had committed plagiarism while writing their master’s theses.
Experts argue that thesis requirements for public figures and other students pursuing non-academic careers are comparatively more lenient.
“Thesis advisors tend to let off students who either have a separate job or have prior career experience,” said Prof. Lee Il-ho from Yonsei University.
History lecturer Seol Min-seok (Yonhap)
In response, people are voicing the need to implement a separate verification procedure before thesis examination to root out plagiaristic practices.
Some call upon the need to properly teach graduate students, many of whom are writing theses for the first time, how to properly cite sources in their papers.
Lenient punishment for plagiarism has also been subject to criticism as most universities have ethics committees that do little to punish offenders.
“Proper restrictions should be in place to warn that plagiarism is the ultimate end of a researcher’s life,” said Prof. Lee In-jae from Seoul National University of Education.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
