Myungshin U. accused of embezzling billions of won

Myungshin University, which is a private four-year university in Suncheon, South Jeolla, was dealt a heavy blow by the educational authorities who cited it for corrupt management, including embezzling 6.5 billion won ($6.1 million).

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said yesterday that it conducted inspections on the university’s corporate body Shinmyung Foundation in April and found that the university engaged in diverse forms of corruption since its establishment in 1999, including forging documents to get approval of the university establishment, embezzling educational funds and giving out grades to students inappropriately.

Shinmyung Foundation, which is a family-run business, was founded by the father surnamed Lee in 1983 and the mother surnamed Park became the chairwoman. The daughter was appointed as president of the Myungshin University and their son as vice president.

When the foundation applied for approval to establish the university in 1999, it allegedly submitted false documents of the endowment. To establish a university, the foundation had to secure an endowment of more than 1.4 billion won. But the family wrote up the figure without securing the amount by temporarily transferring the property of a high school also operated by Lee. The university received approval in December of 1999.

In 2000, the daughter Lee as president allegedly withdrew the university endowment of 1.4 billion won and utilized it for personal use. To conceal the misdeed, Lee allegedly embezzled 1.2 billion won in education funds and transferred them to her private account so she could receive a loan of 1.49 billion won from a bank. Then she allegedly used the loan to make a deposit to the university’s account from which she had withdrawn the endowment.

Lee is also accused of using tuition fees of 650 million won from students for personal use by transferring it to an account under Lee’s nephew surnamed Yoon.

Moreover, according to the Education Ministry, the university admitted that it faked the attendance days for its 22,794 students and gave them inappropriate grades to maintain students.

The Education Ministry ordered the Lees to pay back 6.4 billion won in embezzled funds. The ministry also told the university to cancel grades that were given out to disqualified students. The university will be closed if it doesn’t carry out the ministry’s request.

By Yim Seung-hye [sharon@joongang.co.kr]

한글 관련 기사 [중앙일보]
“명신대, 횡령 68억 안 채우면 학교 폐쇄”
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전남 순천의 4년제 사립대인 명신대(학교법인 신명학원) 관계자들이 교비 수십억원을 횡령하고 무분별한 학점 장사를 해오다 교육과학기술부 감사에 적발됐다.

교과부는 17일 설립자인 이종필(82) 전 총장과 그의 딸인 이윤주(40) 현 총장을 검찰에 고발하고, 미출석 학생에게 준 학점을 취소하도록 했다고 밝혔다.

교과부는 대학 측이 68억원 횡령금 회수 등의 처분을 9월 11일까지 이행하지 않으면 학교 폐쇄나 법인 해산에 나설 방침이다. 2000년 3월 개교한 명신대는 6개 학과에 총정원은 800명이다. 2009년 경영 부실 대학으로 지목되기도 해 부실 대학 퇴출의 신호탄이 될 전망이다.

　교과부는 올 4월 신명학원을 감사한 결과 1999년 대학 설립인가 신청 때 수익용 기본재산을 확보했다고 허위 자료를 제출하고, 수익용 재산 14억원을 빼돌려 쓴 뒤 교비에서 12억원을 횡령해 채워넣은 것으로 확인됐다고 설명했다. 이 대학은 설립자 이씨가 지난해 2월까지 총장을 맡고 부인은 2008년 초까지 이사장을, 딸과 아들은 각각 현 총장과 부총장을 지내는 등 일가친척 중심으로 운영돼 왔다. 이들은 교비 40억원을 추가 횡령하고 출석 기준에 미달하는 재학생 2178명과 시간제 등록생 2만616명 등 2만2794명에게 학점을 준 것으로 드러났다.