South Korea’s National Assembly passed the appointment of Prime Minister Kim Min-seok today afternoon. (CCTV, Zhang Yun)
Kim Min-seok, the nominee for South Korea’s Prime Minister, responded to the controversy over his academic qualifications by claiming that a master’s degree from Tsinghua University was not as easy to obtain. (Observer Network)
Recently, the nomination of South Korea’s Prime Minister candidate Kim Min-seok has been under scrutiny due to his Master’s degree from Tsinghua University. According to Yonhap News Agency on June 19, Kim Min-seok publicly disclosed his immigration and flight records between China and South Korea during the period from 2009 to 2010, in response to the opposition party’s doubts.
After Lee Jae-myung was elected and became President of South Korea, he nominated Kim Min-seok as the Prime Minister. Kim Min-seok is known as a “policy expert” within the Democratic Party, its “strategic head,” and a core figure of the pro-Lee Jae-myung camp. He also holds prestigious degrees such as a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Seoul National University, a Master’s degree in Administrative Science from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Law from Tsinghua University. However, his Master’s degree from Tsinghua University in 2010 has drawn criticism.
The ruling People Power Party has accused Kim Min-seok of being simultaneously a member of the Democratic Party’s highest committee while studying at Tsinghua University, suggesting he had little time to pursue his master’s degree. The People Power Party questions whether Kim Min-seok obtained his degree through “unconventional means” and thus suspects his personal integrity.
In response, Kim Min-seok posted on social media on the 19th, stating that he completed all courses and examinations required by Tsinghua University and provided records of his travel between China and South Korea from February 19, 2005, to January 12, 2018.
Kim Min-seok’s record of travel between China and South Korea from February 19, 2005, to January 12, 2018. Screenshot from Kim Min-seok’s Facebook page
Kim Min-seok mentioned that he was simultaneously pursuing a three-year doctoral program at an American law school and a one-year master’s program at Tsinghua University, with his credits recognized by the American side. He also stated that to balance work and studies, he took leave once a week from the party’s highest committee meetings, flew on discounted red-eye flights between China and South Korea, and rented economical hotels near the university for extended stays, staying for two or three days each week.
Kim Min-seok emphasized that Tsinghua University does not easily grant degrees. He passed the university’s assessment by analyzing the issue of dissidents from an international law perspective and presenting his own insights in his thesis. He expressed his hope that the personnel hearing for the Prime Minister position would focus on his policies and goals rather than his personal affairs.