Diploma mills have a thriving business in Korean students

More than 270 South Koreans have earned doctoral degrees from “diploma mills” in the United States over the past five years, lawmaker Yoo Ki-hong said yesterday.
According to the Korea Research Foundation’s data, 276 or 6.6 percent of 4,199 people who registered their U.S. doctoral degrees with the foundation since 2003 acquired the degrees from diploma mills, unaccredited institutions that issue questionable academic degrees.
At least two of the fake doctoral degree holders are currently working as professors at local universities, according to Yoo.
Korean doctoral degree holders are required to report their degrees to the foundation.
Since January 2003, a total of 7,765 people reported their doctoral degrees from foreign universities, and 54 percent of them earned degrees from U.S. universities, according to the data.
Among the fake degree holders, 140 majored in Christian religious studies and the rest earned degrees in business, education, art or other fields. The degrees were issued by 23 diploma mills, with 39 each from American World University and Midwest University.
American International University topped the list with 41 degree holders, but 32 of them canceled their degree status with the foundation after the current plague of academic fraud involving celebrities began, according to Yoo.
The prosecution announced yesterday that it would summon Kim Ock-rang, 62, the CEO of the DongSoong Art Center and one of the tainted celebrities, for questioning on counterfeiting charges.
Kim submitted a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Western University, a U.S. diploma mill, to Sungkyunkwan University, where she earned her advanced degrees. She was an art management professor at Dankook University until yesterday when the school dismissed her.
Among people registered at JoongAng Ilbo’s Who’s Who database, 34 received degrees from Pacific Western University, including a current lawmaker and 14 former and current professors.
According to the September issue of the Monthly JoongAng magazine, nine U.S. diploma mills have been established or operated by Koreans for mostly Korean students. They are Pacific Western University, American States University, American International University, Nobel University, South Baylor University, California Central University, Pacific Yale University, Covenant University and the University of East-West Alternative Medicine. Many of the schools have recruitment offices here.
“You can earn a master’s in business administration in six months,” a recruiter for American States University told a Monthly JoongAng reporter who was posing as an applicant.
“The tuition is 3 million won ($3,180) per semester and you have to pay at least 12 million won although you finish the course early,” he said. The recruiter said the school will “take care of everything.”
Students at such schools take correspondence courses, rarely submitting papers or homework.

By Kim Soe-jung Staff Writer / Kim Sang-jin JoongAng Ilbo