Incheon National probed for alleged favoritism in hiring ex-PPP lawmaker’s daughter as professor

Police have launched an investigation into allegations that Yoo Dam, an assistant professor in the School of Trade at Incheon National University and the daughter of former People Power Party Rep. Yoo Seung-min, received preferential treatment.

Yoo Dam, the daughter of former People Power Party Rep. Yoo Seung-min, serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Trade at Incheon National University. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Police have launched an investigation into allegations that Yoo Dam, an assistant professor in the School of Trade at Incheon National University and the daughter of former People Power Party Rep. Yoo Seung-min, received preferential treatment in her appointment.

The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency sent investigators to Incheon National University on Friday morning to carry out a search and seizure, according to the police. Investigators have reportedly secured various documents related to Yoo’s hiring by raiding locations including the office of the School of Trade.

The search warrant reportedly cites suspected violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act for one of the 23 people named in the complaint.

Ahead of the raid, police reportedly summoned Incheon National University faculty and staff for questioning over the process.

The investigation follows a complaint received on Nov. 4 of last year, requesting a probe into 23 individuals — including university President Lee In-jae, the academic affairs office’s human resources team, members of the hiring committee and the staff member responsible for managing hiring records — on suspicion of violating the Public Records Management Act.

Former conservative People Power Party Rep. Yoo Seung-min speaks during an interview with JoongAng Ilbo on Feb. 6, 2025. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The complainant alleged that the hiring process was unfair and claimed that Incheon National University, a public institution, failed to properly retain hiring-related documents that must be preserved permanently under its “Guidelines for New Full-Time Faculty Appointments.”

Yoo was appointed as an assistant professor in the School of Trade at the College of Global Public Administration and Economics after being selected in the university’s hiring round for new full-time faculty for the second semester of 2025. Allegations of preferential treatment were later raised during a parliamentary audit.

At the time, Democratic Party Rep. Jin Sun-mee said the School of Trade had conducted four full-time faculty recruitment rounds prior to Yoo’s appointment but failed to hire anyone because no applicants met the requirements. Jin’s office also claimed that applicant information and hiring documents — which should have been preserved permanently under the guidelines — had all been destroyed.

Incheon National University has maintained its position that the screening process was conducted fairly in accordance with internal rules and guidelines.

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 JEONG JAE-HONG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]