Seoul National University's faculty council called for a special audit of the candidates for university president after the school's board of trustees postponed interviews to allow further vetting.
The faculty council said in a statement on the 22nd that it respects the board's decision to vet the candidates, and that the university administration should conduct a special audit of whether the candidates' conduct met the standards expected of faculty members and complied with internal regulations, according to university officials on the 24th.
The board met on the 20th and pushed back interviews with the three candidates to Nov. 8. It had planned to select a final candidate after in-depth interviews on the 27th, but concluded that additional vetting was needed after allegations of misconduct were raised involving some of the candidates.
The university's presidential search committee narrowed the field to three after reviewing applications and conducting policy assessments: Kang Joon-ho, a professor of physical education; Choi Hae-cheon, a chair professor of mechanical engineering; and Lee Jae-young, a professor of English language and literature. The committee received a report concerning one of the candidates during that process but announced that its review found nothing unusual. The board decided on further vetting after a similar report was filed with the administration's audit office.
Seoul National University has faced controversy over the integrity of presidential candidates before. In the 2018 election for the 27th president, Kang Dae-hee, a professor at the College of Medicine who had been chosen as the final candidate, withdrew amid allegations of sexual harassment and plagiarism. Critics questioned at the time whether the board's vetting of candidates had been thorough enough.
Lim Jung-mook, head of the faculty council, said the university and the country's strict standards must be applied to presidential candidates in response to the allegations and reports raised during the election process, so that the next president can secure at least a minimum of legitimacy.