Seoul National University delays president interviews to Nov 8 for extra checks

Seoul National University's board postponed interviews with the three remaining candidates for university president, which had been scheduled for Oct 27, to Nov 8, according to Chosun Ilbo, Yonhap and Newsis. The board met on Oct 20 and decided to form a separate special committee to carry out additional checks on the candidates. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

The decision followed a tip about a candidate that recently reached the university's audit office. A university official told Chosun Ilbo the additional checks were meant to confirm the content of the tip so that a candidate could be chosen without controversy. Chosun Ilbo and Newsis said the additional checks concern some of the candidates. [ 1 , 3 ]

Yonhap reported that the tip included content that had reached the university's faculty council in September and was passed on to the presidential search committee. Newsis reported that the committee reportedly judged the content not to be a problem, and that the board appears to have decided on a review after the same content was submitted again. Asia Economy likewise said the committee was reported to have found no problem. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]

The search committee chose four preliminary candidates last month, professors Kang Jun-ho (강준호), Kim Hyun-cheol (김현철), Lee Jae-young (이재영) and Choi Hae-chun (최해천). A policy evaluation panel then narrowed the field to Kang, Lee and Choi. Newsis listed Kang as a professor in the College of Education, Choi in the College of Engineering and Lee in the College of Humanities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

The board had planned to hold in-depth interviews on Oct 27, with each candidate giving a presentation and answering questions for about two hours, before choosing one final candidate. Chosun Ilbo said the schedule for the selection is expected to slip by about a week. Asia Economy reported that the final candidate is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the education minister. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]

On Oct 22 the faculty council issued a statement saying it respects the board's decision to check the candidates and that the university headquarters should separately conduct a special audit of whether the candidates complied with the virtues expected of faculty and with university rules. It said being a candidate does not exempt a person from the strict standards applied to ordinary professors, and urged the candidates to cooperate with the checks. [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]

Faculty council president Im Jeong-muk (임정묵) said a president's leadership begins with character and morality, and that the strict standards of the university and the country must apply to candidates in the same way as to ordinary professors for a president to have minimum legitimacy. [ 4 , 5 ]