hankyoreh

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced a 30-year old Canadian to six months in prison on July 15 for using a fake diploma to get a teaching job at a private English language institute (hagwon).

“In the Korean educational system, the character and qualifications of instructors at hagwons are just as important as they are for those teaching in regular schools,” the court wrote in its judgment.

“When the accused used forged documents to find employment it was a serious crime in that it disrupts the field of education outside of regular school,” it said.

The Canadian forged his bachelors degree diploma and transcripts in 2003 after he was denied an English teaching visa because he had not graduated from a four-year institution. He was caught after finding teaching jobs at three English language teaching centers in Seoul’s Gangnam neighborhood between July 2003 and September 2005.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]