Allegations of Falsified Records Surface in Political Campaign
A controversy surrounding a former mayoral candidate’s academic background is escalating, extending beyond initial claims of academic misconduct to include questions about their high school records and the hiring of campaign staff.
High School Enrollment and Attendance Under Scrutiny
Reports indicate that the former candidate faced scrutiny regarding the alleged falsification of attendance records during their transfer to a high school in Busan after living abroad in the United States. The individual reportedly attended high school in the U.S. from 2003 to 2006 before transferring as a third-year student to a high school in Busan.
During this period, discrepancies arose when it was discovered that the student’s academic records, including attendance, were allegedly fabricated. The homeroom teacher at the time was reportedly convicted of fraud in relation to these falsified records.
Court documents from the initial ruling state that the teacher was found guilty of entering false information into the student’s academic record system. Specifically, the teacher allegedly recorded the student as having attended school for 90 days when the student had not actually been present. Furthermore, the records falsely indicated participation in book clubs and cultural experiences abroad.
Legal Findings on Enrollment and Departure
Subsequent legal proceedings determined that the student enrolled in the high school in June 2006 but departed for the United States in August of the same year to enroll in a pre-medical program at a U.S. university. The court found that the student never attended classes after their departure and did not participate in any school activities.
The motive for entering false attendance records was determined to be to enable the student to obtain a high school diploma from the domestic institution.
The controversy was further amplified because the father of the former candidate was reportedly in a leadership position at the school’s managing foundation at the time.
The candidate’s current public profile does not list any affiliation with the aforementioned high school. Instead, it highlights the withdrawal from a pre-medical program at Wake Forest University in 2006 and a bachelor’s degree from a domestic university between 2013 and 2019.
Connections to Business and Campaign Staffing
The controversy is also extending to the candidate’s familial business ties and their mayoral campaign. It has been reported that a hospital run by the candidate’s spouse was involved in the mayoral election. During the recent local elections, the political party nominated an employee of this hospital as a proportional representative candidate for the Busan City Council.
Furthermore, individuals associated with the election campaign are alleged to have been subsequently hired by the hospital after the election concluded.
Authorities are reportedly investigating the circumstances surrounding the candidate’s transfer to a hospital located 12 kilometers away, rather than a closer facility, after reportedly losing consciousness. The authenticity of medical records related to this incident is also under review.
In the Busan mayoral election, the former candidate secured approximately 27,000 votes, representing just over 1% of the total votes cast.
