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A Chonbuk National University professor who changed the name of the first author of a doctoral dissertation written by a student to his younger brother's name was sentenced to a suspended sentence in prison at the appeals court.



The previous day (2nd), the 3rd Criminal Division of the Jeonju District Court (presiding judge Cho Ji-hwan) dismissed the appeals of both sides in the appeal trial against Professor A (55) of Chonbuk National University, who was charged with obstruction of business, and sentenced to 6 months in prison as in the lower court, suspended for 2 years. sentenced.



Professor A was indicted without detention on charges of listing his younger brother as the first author of a doctoral dissertation written by his student B, a Mongolian student.



Mr. B's thesis was published in an SCI (Science and Technology Citation Index)-level international academic journal around August 2013, and it is known that the first author changed eight months later.



Mr. A sent an e-mail to the publisher to change the first author of the paper, and it was Mr. A's younger brother who was in charge of the fund assistant professor position at Jeondo University Hospital who was later listed as the first author.



At the disciplinary committee held immediately after the incident, a two-month salary cut for Professor A was decided, but the National Graduate Students Union issued a statement and said, “Professor A, who was indicted, stole the research achievements of his foreign student student and violated human rights. He called for his dismissal, saying, "Despite such shameless misconduct, the Chonbuk National University Disciplinary Committee only issued a light disciplinary punishment." 

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Mr. A, who stood in court, said, "(The publisher) did not ask for the name of Mr. B to be excluded, and I asked for the name of my younger brother to be added, but it happened because the publisher misunderstood." It is the content that the publisher needs to review, and it is not a crime of obstruction of business through hierarchical schemes.”



However, the court of the first trial said, "It is acknowledged that Mr. A exchanged emails with the publisher about the author change, and the first author is a matter decided by the research team, and the publisher does not separately review it." guilty of everything."



He was sentenced to 6 months in prison and 2 years of probation, saying, "After the crime was discovered, Mr. A was only interested in concealing it, and the fact that he tried to appease his pupil was a separate matter."



Later, in the second trial, which proceeded with appeals from both sides, the judge pointed out, "Even if it is seen that the intention was to add a younger brother as the defendant claimed, it cannot be seen as contributing to the writing of the thesis in this case."



The second trial court rejected the appeals of both sides and sentenced the same sentence as the lower court, saying, "Replacing the first author can be evaluated as obstruction of business."



Meanwhile, Professor A is known to be subject to a 'dismissal of course' if his brother is confirmed as it is.