The Chuncheon District Court ruled against the professor in his lawsuit seeking to overturn a three-month suspension imposed by the national university he resides, the court announced on Saturday.
According to the indictment, the professor fraudulently claimed research material expenses 31 times between June 2018 and January 2021, pocketing about 80 million won intended for consumable research supplies.
He also embezzled 1 million won over 36 instances by billing for meals for researchers who never attended actual research meetings.
The university initially imposed dismissal and demanded 240 million won in additional disciplinary fines - triple the embezzled amount.
After the professor appealed to the Appeal Commission for Educators, his punishment was reduced to a three-month suspension with standard disciplinary fines, considering his suspended sentence in criminal court.
However, the professor argued he merely followed established practices of acquiring expensive equipment through credit arrangements and later paying through government project material costs. He claimed the funds questioned were used for actual equipment purchases that benefited his research.
"The misconduct's content, duration, frequency and amount show the violations were not minor, warranting demotion or higher punishment," the court said. "However, considering the plaintiff's diligent work performance and research achievements, and that the embezzlement wasn't solely for personal gain, a suspension was deemed appropriate."
The court emphasized that professors must maintain strong moral standards and integrity, stating the public interest in ensuring fair research fund management outweighed the defendant's personal disadvantages.
reporter
Kim Dong-young
davekim0807@ajupress.com
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