Police investigating university professor for inflated grade, inappropriate student relationship

A university classroom is seen in this photo. The image is not directly related to the article. [NEWS1]

 
A former university professor is under police investigation after being dismissed for allegedly giving an A-plus to a student who failed to complete an assignment, officials said Wednesday.
 
The case has drawn wider attention amid allegations that the professor maintained an inappropriate relationship with the student. The university has filed a criminal complaint, and police have opened an investigation.
 

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The Anyang Manan Police Precinct in Gyeonggi is investigating the former professor, who previously worked at a private university in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, on suspicion of obstruction of business, according to the school and investigative authorities.
 
The university had earlier filed a criminal complaint with the Yongin West Police Precinct, alleging the professor had manipulated students’ grades. Police later transferred the case to the Anyang Manan station, which has jurisdiction over the professor’s residence.
 
According to a disciplinary report obtained by The JoongAng Ilbo, the professor sent the student a message on April 30, 2024, the day of the assignment deadline, after the student failed to submit a completed paper. “Honey, eight minutes left,” the message read. 
Despite the incomplete submission, the professor entered an A-plus grade in advance. The student did not revise nor complete the assignment. 
 
When the student later asked why an A-plus had been recorded despite the missing work, the professor replied that grades had to be entered that day and added, “This is absolutely confidential.” 
 
The issue came to light about 17 months later, in September 2025, after students — including the course participant — posted a public notice on campus accusing the professor of misconduct. The university then launched a formal review.
 

An empty lecture hall is seen at Korea University's campus in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul on March 31, 2025. Photo is not related to the story. [YONHAP]

 
The notice alleged that between April and August 2024, the professor initiated personal contact with the student, suggesting drinks, urging visits and expressing interest in going to the student’s off-campus residence. It also accused the professor of “grooming,” a term used to describe the gradual establishment of emotional control for sexual purposes.
 
In October 2025, the university dismissed the professor, then an assistant professor, through its faculty disciplinary committee. The school said it was clear the professor intentionally committed grading misconduct by giving a student an A-plus despite the submission of an incomplete assignment “to the point that evaluation was impossible,” and then instructing the student to keep it secret.
 
The university also cited the alleged private relationship, concluding that such conduct violated the professor’s duty to maintain dignity and ran counter to the responsibilities of an educator.
 
The professor, however, has denied all allegations of grade manipulation. The professor’s attorney said the final grade was “a fair result” calculated by reflecting scores from the midterm exam, assignments, attendance and participation, and argued that although the student did submit an incomplete assignment, the student’s overall score was in a range that would have resulted in an A even if the assignment received the lowest possible score.
 

An old computer sits in a classroom at a financially struggling private university. [JOONGANG ILBO]

 
Regarding the “absolutely confidential” message, the attorney said it was merely an imprudent expression used out of concern that misunderstandings could arise amid a complicated grading process.
 
As for the alleged private relationship, the professor’s side said the course in question was taught in the first semester of 2024 and that the private relationship began around September 2024, meaning there was no reason to give the student preferential treatment in grades.
 
The professor also claimed the relationship formed through mutual consent, saying the student first expressed affection by giving gifts and letters, and that the professor did not abuse a position of authority nor force the relationship.
 
The professor has filed an appeal with the Ministry of Education's teachers' appeals commission, which allows teachers to seek a review of disciplinary action. A university official said the school took strict action after conducting sufficient investigative procedures.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY RYU HYO-RIM [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]