Jeonju National University of Education president accused of plagiarism

JEONJU - President Yoo Kwang-chan, 55, of the Jeonju National University of Education has recently created a stir, caught in a plagiarism scandal.

Yoo, who took office as president in March, was teaching sophomore classes until last year as an elementary education department professor and assigned his own book, “Self-knowledge and Happiness,” as a textbook. The book was published in 2008.

However, about 70 to 80 percent of the 100-page book was copied from other books, word by word, according to a study done by the JoongAng Ilbo.

The book’s first chapter “Understanding personality,” which deals with the elements of personality and functional and congenital characteristics of personality, was copied directly from a book called “The Nature of 16 Character Types,” written by Professors Kim Jung-taek and Sim Hye-suk in 2000, the newspaper found.

The book that Yoo copied from states clearly that “Any person who willfully infringes a copyright shall be punished under the law.”

Most of chapter two of Yoo’s book was taken from three other books.

Under Korean Copyright Law Section 136, any person violating the copyright by infringing on intellectual property rights by making duplications can be sentenced for up to five years or fined up to 50 million won ($46,250).

When citing other writers’ books or thesis, one must put in footnotes giving the name of the writer, the book and the year of publication.

Yoo only listed the names of about 30 books at the end of his book as a reference. Yoo is also accused of pressing students to buy his book by setting assignments related to his book.

Professor Sim Hye-suk of Pusan National University, who is one of the authors of the book, “The Nature of 16 Character Types,” from which Yoo seems to have plagiarized, said, “I can understand if it was citing key concepts or ideas but copying the content of a book word by word is a serious problem.” She added that, “Yoo has never contacted me concerning this issue.”

A professor at Jeonju National University of Education was critical of Yoo. “Plagiarizing books or theses without citations violates the copyright law and such act by a president of an education university is inappropriate,” the professor said.

Last year, Yoo was fined 800,000 won for violating the Rules of the Public Educational Personnel and Staff Act by sending gifts such as picture frames, perfumes and golf balls to professors before the university presidential election took place in May.

By Jang Dae-suk [sharon@joongang.co.kr]

한글 관련 기사 [중앙일보]
토씨 하나도 안 바꾸고 … 다른 사람 글 베껴 책 낸 총장님
전주교대 유광찬 총장, 수업교재 짜깁기 논란

전주교대 유광찬 총장이 다른 사람의 저서를 상당 부분 베껴 책을 펴냈다는 의혹이 제기됐다.

　지난 2월 취임한 유 총장은 지난해까지 교대 2학년 학생들을 대상으로 ‘교육과정’ 수업을 해 왔다. 그는 자신이 쓴 『자기이해와 행복』(교육과학사·2008년)을 수업 교재로 사용했다.

이 책은 전체 100쪽 분량으로 ‘제1부 당신의 성격이해’ ‘제2부 당신을 돌아보는 마음’ 등으로 구성돼 있다. 하지만 이 책의 상당 내용은 다른 저자들의 책 내용과 토씨도 다르지 않고 똑같은 것으로 나타났다.

　유 총장 책의 제1부(당신의 성격 이해)는 성격의 요소, 성격의 기능적·기질적 특성 등을 설명하고 있다. 이 부분은 김정택·심혜숙 교수가 펴낸 『16가지 성격유형의 특성』(한국심리검사연구소·2000년)이라는 책의 4~74쪽과 일부를 제외하고는 똑같다. 책의 제2부 내용도 대부분 『감수성의 훈련』(유동수 저) , 『신반야심경 강의』(혜담), 『내가 있는 나』(송인섭) 같은 다른 책에 있는 내용과 같다. 타인의 책·논문 등을 인용하면 해당 부분에 각주를 달아 출처(저자·책명·쪽·출판연도)를 밝히는 게 원칙이다. 하지만 유 총장의 책에는 뒷부분에 30여 종의 참고문헌만 적혀 있다.

　『16가지 성격유형의 특성』을 쓴 부산대 심혜숙 교수는 “핵심 개념·아이디어를 인용하는 것은 이해하지만 책의 내용을 그대로 베꼈다면 문제다. 이와 관련해 지금까지 연락을 한 번도 받은 적이 없다”고 말했다.

　이에 대해 유 총장은 “이미 처리가 끝난 문제다. 해명할 필요 없다”고 말했다.