Updated January 14 KST:

Dongshin University has provided a response regarding the cancellation of degrees for Highlight’s Lee Gikwang, Yong Junhyung, Yoon Doojoon, BTOB’s Eunkwang and Yook Sungjae, Jang Hyunseung, and singer Chu Ga Yeoul.

On January 14, the university shared the following statement:

The university gave grades and degrees according to school and department regulations, but we accept that there were loopholes for parts of the regulations. However, we will closely review measures to protect the graduates who received grades and degrees based on the above regulations so that they will not be harmed as much as possible. We will establish countermeasures including modification of regulations for more thorough academic operations in the future.

Source (1)

Original Article:

The Ministry of Education has decided to cancel the degrees of seven celebrity students.

Highlight members (Lee Gikwang, Yong Junhyung, Yoon Doojoon), BTOB members (Eunkwang, Yook Sungjae), Jang Hyunseung, and singer Chu Ga Yeoul will have their degrees canceled as the Ministry of Education has determined that they received special treatment.

On January 14, the Education Trust Restoration Promotion Team of the Ministry of Education held their first meeting to discuss the inspection results of the suspicions on injustice and corruption at Dongshin University and Busan Kyungsang University. The team has announced corrective actions regarding the matter.

According to the report from the Ministry of Education, the broadcast activities of celebrity students at Dongshin University gave them acknowledgement as being present even if they did not attend class due to the department’s internal policy. However, it was determined that the celebrities received special treatment since there were no written regulations of such before 2015, nor were there rules delegated that allowed departments to manage attendance differently. The Ministry of Education determined that the attendance of these students cannot be acknowledged.

In particular, despite regulation, singer Chu Ga Yeoul acted as an adjunct professor for the Department of Applied Music despite not having a bachelor’s degree while simultaneously attending the Department of Broadcasting and Entertainment as a student. It was confirmed that he could not attend class since the time he was supposed to attend lecture as a student overlapped with the time he acted as an adjunct professor. For Chu Ga Yeoul, his degree will be canceled, and his position as an adjunct professor will become nullified.

The Ministry of Education has decided to cancel the degrees of the seven celebrities. Of the administrative staff at Dongshin University, it has been requested that one person receive severe disciplinary action, nine people receive moderate disciplinary action, and six people receive warnings.

Source (1)