Plagiarism in Korea: Sketchiest of the Sketchy
A recent article from Time Magazine about plagiarism in Korean universities. You can see it here: 200 South Korean Professors Charged in Massive Plagiarism Scam. The gist of it is that these professors changed the author names and covers of textbooks and passed them off as their own, with the assistance of a publishing company. Sketcccccchhhhhhy, to say the least.
Academic Integrity Misadventures: Nothing New on this Blog
I’ve certainly talked about academic integrity misadventures in South Korean universities on this blog before. Here is just one such example from my Golden Handcuffs post:
Reason #1 (Korean University Jobs are Traps): No Academic Integrity in Korea
Over the years, I’ve seen the most ridiculous things that would fall under the category of academic integrity misadventures. In fact, it may be the subject of my next book, once I leave Korea. Kind of a “tell-all,” about what it’s really like teaching in a Korean university and how ridiculous it all is. At first I was shocked by the cheating, plagiarism, lying, grade-fixing, diplomas to anyone who will pay for them, bribery, and paying for academic appointments, but no longer. Now, I mostly just play the game because it’s way easier than fighting the system. Koreans have mostly given up too and they know that the system is screwed up but they feel powerless to fix it.
I used to fight and give that senior an “F” who never showed up for a single class, nor did a single assignment and skipped all his tests. What did it get me? Harassment, and stalking from the students and very little support from the admin in regards to the actual grade as well as the stalking situation. Now? Here’s your D buddy, don’t let me stand in the way of paying for your diploma. You paid your tuition, so it doesn’t matter how much you actually studied. Good luck in the real world.
How did only 200 get Caught?
So, let’s just say that when I read this article from Time, I was certainly not surprised in the least. It’s not like this kind of stuff is a secret. You could ask anyone who’s been working in a Korean university for more than a year or two and they’d tell you the same thing. The only really, truly surprising thing is that only 200 professors were caught in the bust. I personally thought it would have numbered up into the 1000’s. Maybe it’s just the one publishing company that got busted but there are a ton of others out there doing the same thing?
What about Dissertations and Journal Publications?
As my one friend pointed out on Facebook, textbooks are only a very small area of the total volume of material being “written” and published. I’d venture a guess and say that the number of plagiarized dissertations and journal publications would also number in the 1000’s. That’s at the extremely low end.
Why not the Name and Shame?
Perhaps these 200 professors were named and shamed in the Korean media, but just not in the English versions. Anyone better at Korean than I who could tell me? If they weren’t, why not? It’s time for universities here to take a serious look at what’s happening inside their four walls and to clean up their act. Everyone who teachers in Korean universities (and foreign students who study here) know that Korean degrees aren’t really worth the paper that they’re written on. When you get your degree just for paying the tuition, well, the actual learning becomes kind of an afterthought.
Cheating = No Problem
It all starts at the very bottom. Students cheat on papers and tests all the time. Then they caught and cry and beg for a second change. They get given a second chance by their Korean professors, often with no consequence. They continue doing this, on and on, and on and on, with the result being this sort of cheating ridiculousness at even the highest levels.
Students think I’m basically the meanest teacher ever for giving them a “0” on whatever they cheat on with no second chance, even if I’ve explicitly warned them that this would be the result. I mean, they’re actually surprised by it which leads me to think that every single one of the Korean teachers up until that point had either looked the other way, or given the second chance.
Please Understand our Unique Culture
Whenever I talk about the subject of plagiarism with Koreans, they often talk to me like I’m a total moron who has no understanding of the world that I live in. Please understand our unique culture. In Korea, it’s okay to cheat and steal and bribe your way to the top as long as you don’t get caught. Yes, I most certainly do understand that aspect of Korean culture, but it most certainly does not make it right. Stealing something that someone else wrote and slapping your own name on it with a new cover? There’s no way this comes out looking anything less than totally sketch, no matter what country you’re in. It’s not okay just because everyone does it in Korea. Stealing is stealing is stealing. I REFUSE to do it! If I had my way, every student who cheated in my class would get a “0” and be expelled from the university.
Let’s Sum This Rant Up
Plagiarism in Korea = Embarrassing. When are you ever going to learn? Your universities are a joke. It’s time to clean house and stop looking the other way.
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