S. Korean gets jail term for faking degree
Legal World
A South Korean court on Tuesday upheld an earlier ruling sentencing a former university professor to 18 months in jail for faking a Yale doctorate and embezzling museum funds.
The Seoul Western District Court said its appellate court affirmed its sentence against Shin Jeong-ah for using the fake degree to become an art history professor at a Seoul university and win financial sponsorship for a museum where she worked. The court handed down the first ruling in March.
Shin has seven days to appeal, according to court spokesman Kim Myung-su.
Seoul's Dongguk University also filed a suit against Yale in March seeking at least $50 million in damages, saying the American university wrongly confirmed that Shin earned a degree. Yale has called the matter an administrative error and apologized to Dongguk.
Shin made headlines last year when the fake degree scandal led to revelations that she had a romantic relationship with former presidential aide Byeon Yang-kyoon, who allegedly used his influence to help her get hired at Dongguk.
Byeon resigned as an aide to former President Roh Moo-hyun before being convicted of exercising his influence to provide state tax benefits to a Buddhist temple founded by a former Dongguk official who helped hire Shin as a professor.
In March, the district court handed Byeon a suspended one-year jail term and ordered him to conduct 160 hours of community service.
Related listings
-
Taiwan's former president testifies in libel case
Legal World 07/21/2008Taiwan's former president testified Monday that he was blameless in a libel case brought against him, but first had to pass angry opponents shouting at him outside the courthouse and a man who reportedly kicked him in the rear end.Chen Shui-bian ente...
-
Canada deports US soldier avoiding Iraq deployment
Legal World 07/18/2008Canada transferred US Army deserter Robin Long back to US custody Tuesday following a decision by the Federal Court of Canada denying his asylum request. Long is the first of an estimated 200 US military personnel avoiding deployment in Canada to be ...
-
Prosecutor denies political timing in Darfur case
Legal World 07/17/2008The International Criminal Court's issuance of an arrest warrant for Sudan's president on genocide charges was not timed to the court's 10th anniversary celebration three days later, the prosecutor said Thursday.Luis Moreno-Ocampo told reporters he i...
New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC
Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.