Kookmin says preliminary probe shows his thesis widely plagiarized
Lawmaker-elect Moon Dae-sung left the ruling Saenuri Party on Friday as Kookmin University announced that his thesis appears to have been plagiarized based on their preliminary investigation.
Moon’s defection has left the ruling party with 150 seats, one seat short of majority, in the 300-member 19th National Assembly that will convene May 30.
“The thesis by Moon Dae-sung corresponds to plagiarism rampant in the academic field,” the research ethics committee of Kookmin University said in a press briefing.
The university will launch a full-fledged inspection of the thesis in question based on the preliminary results, the committee said.
Around the same time, Moon released a press statement that said, “I should not become the source of people’s augmented distrust toward politics, nor should I become a burden on Saenuri’s reform and efforts to win the presidential election.” Moon won in Busan Saha-B district in the April 11 general elections.
Moon, a former Olympic gold medalist in taekwondo and current member of the International Olympic Committee, has been facing growing calls to renounce his party membership and parliamentary seat over the plagiarism allegation, which casts cloud over Rep. Park Geun-hye’s possible presidential bid.
The committee said that much of Moon’s thesis was similar to another thesis written by an author surnamed Kim for Myongji University.
Both thesis by Moon and Kim are about proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching and its effects on taekwondo players.
The school ethics committee will form a five-member team including an outside expert for the main investigation within 30 days. Investigation must be completed within 90 days but reassessment may begin upon Moon’s request.
Moon will be stripped of his doctorate if the plagiarism suspicion is confirmed, school officials said.
By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)
논문 표절 논란으로 탈당 압박을 받아온 새누리 당 문대성 국회의원 당선자(부산 사하갑)가 20일 탈당키로 했다.
문 당선자는 이날 신상 자료를 내고 "저는 오늘 새누리당을 탈당하고자 한다"며 "물의를 일으켜 국민께 죄송하다"고 사과했다.
문 당선자는 "당의 탈당 권고를 받고 탈당을 결심하게 됐다"며 "새누리당이 부담을 털고 민생에 전념하기를 바란다"고 밝혔다.
그는 "모든 것이 제 책임이다. 논문 표절 의혹이 있는 것도, 탈당 번복으로 인해 국민을 혼란하게 한 것도 저의 잘못"이라면서 "진심으로 사과드린다"고 말했다.
그는 "저로 인해 국민께서 정치에 대한 불신이 증폭되거나, 새누리당의 쇄신과 정권재창출에 부담이 돼서는 안된다"고 덧붙였다.
제수 성추행 논란속에 탈당한 김형태(경북 포항 남.울릉) 당선자에 이어 문 당선자까지 탈당키로 함으로써 새누리당의 19대 국회 의석은 152석에서 150석으로 줄어들었다.
