INCHEON — The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit announced on July 3 that it has booked former National Assembly member Yoo Seong-min as a suspect in a high-profile investigation regarding the allegedly preferential hiring of his 31-year-old daughter as a professor at Incheon National University (INU).

The former lawmaker, a prominent figure in South Korean politics, appeared at the police station at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday for questioning. Authorities stated that he is currently under investigation on charges of obstruction of business.

Allegations of Interference in Recruitment

While police officials declined to disclose the specific actions taken by Yoo, they confirmed that the investigation is focused on whether he exerted undue influence or interfered in the university’s recruitment processes to facilitate his daughter’s appointment to the faculty of the Department of Trade and Commerce.

“While we cannot elaborate on the exact nature of the acts committed, we have gathered sufficient evidence to proceed with the case,” a police spokesperson stated. “We officially booked Mr. Yoo early last month, and today marks his formal summons for interrogation as a suspect.”

The police clarified that, as of now, the daughter, who currently holds the position of professor at INU, has not been booked as a suspect.

Roots of the Controversy

The investigation stems from a complaint filed by an individual last November, which alleged violations of the Public Records Management Act. The complaint claimed that INU failed to retain critical hiring-related documents that, according to the university’s internal guidelines for hiring full-time faculty, must be permanently archived.

The allegations first gained significant traction during the National Assembly’s annual audit last year. Representative Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic Party of Korea publicly questioned the legitimacy of the appointment, noting the rarity of such an early-career placement.

“There have been numerous objections regarding how a 31-year-old with no professional experience could secure a professorship at the Department of Trade and Commerce,” Rep. Jin said during the audit. “Upon reviewing the history of faculty appointments in the department, it is unprecedented to find an appointee with such a lack of professional background.”

Discrepancies in Scoring Metrics

Rep. Jin further highlighted potential irregularities in the evaluation process. She pointed out that while the daughter ranked near the bottom in the qualitative assessment of her research papers—scoring 18.6 points, placing her roughly 16th among candidates—she received perfect marks in educational background, professional career experience, and the quantitative assessment of her academic papers.

“The candidate achieved a perfect score in experience despite having no history of study abroad, no international experience, and no previous employment in the corporate sector,” Jin argued. “Meanwhile, other highly qualified applicants received disproportionately low scores in those same categories.”

University’s Defense

In response to the growing public scrutiny and the ongoing police investigation, Incheon National University has consistently maintained its innocence. A representative for the university stated, “The entire recruitment and evaluation process was conducted strictly in accordance with internal regulations and established guidelines to ensure fairness and transparency.”

As the investigation continues, the case has ignited a wider debate in South Korea regarding the fairness of faculty appointments at public institutions and the influence of political figures in academia. The police indicated that they will continue to scrutinize the university’s internal documents and the testimonies of the recruitment committee members involved in the process.

The outcome of this investigation is expected to have significant political and academic ramifications, as the public waits to see whether the allegations of nepotism will be substantiated by formal legal findings.

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