South Korean ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee stripped of master's degree for plagiarism

Sookmyung Women's University has revoked former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee's master's degree after finding she plagiarized her thesis, the school announced on Tuesday.

The university's Graduate School of Education found that Kim's 1999 thesis violated academic integrity rules, prompting the cancellation of her degree.

The school said the move aims to "uphold research ethics and protect academic credibility," The Korea Herald reported.

Kim, the wife of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, faced renewed public scrutiny after allegations of plagiarism resurfaced in late 2022. Sookmyung launched a formal investigation in December that year, Yonhap reported.

The fallout has extended to Kookmin University, where Kim earned her doctoral degree. Following the master's degree revocation, Kookmin has started proceedings to annul her PhD, citing the Higher Education Act, which requires a valid master's degree for doctoral admission.

Without it, Kim no longer qualifies to hold her doctoral degree, the university explained.