University Professor Gave Children Top Grades After Enrolling Them in His Classes, Audit Finds

A Daedong University professor allowed a child to take the professor's own classes without reporting the relationship and then awarded grades ranging from A+ to B+ in five subjects, according to an Education Ministry audit.

The ministry announced 16 findings on Sept. 4 from a comprehensive audit of Hwabon Educational Foundation and Daedong University. The audit covered 11 weekdays between Nov. 11 and 22, 2024, and Nov. 13, 2025. The ministry requested a minor disciplinary action and a warning for those involved in the grading matter.

The audit also found that a hospital operated by the foundation continued making private contracts with five companies for medical supplies and other goods, despite receiving an institutional warning in a 2023 accounting review. The contracts totaled 67.699 billion won. The foundation also disposed of a 150 million-won deposit classified as revenue-generating basic property nine times in 2021 without board approval or notifying the supervising authority. After the ministry rejected a later report in February 2022, the money was redeposited in February 2023.

In another case, 35 million won in monthly rent from a building classified as revenue-generating basic property was not included in the foundation's budget and was instead used for hospital operations. Part of the building was also rented at a low rate to a former hospital employee. The ministry ordered notification measures and filed a complaint over the matter.

The audit identified further problems in selecting an acting university president, awarding six specialized construction contracts worth 252 million won to companies without the required licenses, and completing 13 construction projects worth 1.115 billion won without inspection records. The ministry requested status-related measures against 17 people: minor disciplinary action for four, warnings for four and cautions for nine. It also ordered 10 institutional warnings or cautions, four notifications and seven corrective measures, and required 68.573 million won to be recovered.