Revoked Degree

[Anchor Lead]

The Ministry of Education ordered Inha University to nullify the transfer and graduation of Korean Air President Cho Won-tae. It’s the latest in a string of scandals weighing on the national carrier. Cho is believed to have entered Inha University under false pretenses 20 years ago.

[Pkg]

Korean Air President Cho Won-tae earned 33 credits in a two-year college in the United States some 20 years ago. His grade point average was 1.67 with several Fs. His GPA indicates that he had missed quite a few classes. At the time, Inha University required transfer students to have more than 60 credits and a GPA of 2.0 or higher from previous colleges, but Cho fell far short of the criteria. The university hastily set up a new rule ahead of Cho's transfer, even when its admission guidelines were already in place. The new rule stipulated that those who had earned a college degree overseas were given eligibility according to the number of completed semesters. The Ministry of Education determined that Cho didn't even meet this requirement. The government also decided that Cho wasn't eligible for his bachelor's degree, because he lacked 20 credits.

[Soundbite] (Inha University Official(Voice modified)) : "I think it's unfair to cancel the approval of an executive status or the college transfer despite the absence of any legal problems."

The ministry also found the university responsible for accounting frauds discovered during the investigation. The government plans to cancel the approval given to Cho's appointment as a university board member and request prosecutors to investigate the university.