Reading Material: Allegations of Excessive Absences by Minister Nominee

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Korean Reading Practice

Reading Material: Allegations of Excessive Absences by Minister Nominee

Date: July 23, 2025

Introduction

This reading lesson discusses the controversy surrounding Kang Seon-woo, a candidate for the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and her alleged absence from classes during her time as a professor at Sungkyunkwan University.

Vocabulary

Korean Romanization Meaning Example
후보자 hubocha candidate Kang Seon-woo, thecandidatefor the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is accused of missing classes during her time as a professor.
당시 dangsi at that time At that time, Kang Seon-woo was a professor at Sungkyunkwan University.
장관 jangwan minister Kang Seon-woo's actions as a professor have called into question herministerqualifications.
교수 gyosu professor Kang Seon-woo was aprofessorat Sungkyunkwan University before entering politics.
성균관대 Seonggungwandae Sungkyunkwan University Kang Seon-woo was a professor atSungkyunkwan University.
무단 mudan unauthorized, without permission Kang Seon-woo is accused ofunauthorizedabsences from her classes.
결강 gyeolgang skipping/missing a class Kang Seon-woo is accused ofskipping/missingher classes for 5 weeks.
수강생 sugangseong student enrolled in a class Thestudents enrolledin Kang Seon-woo's classes were outraged by her absences.
분노 bunno anger, fury The students'anger/furywas directed at Kang Seon-woo's actions as a professor.
일방적 ilbangjeok unilateral Kang Seon-woo would unilaterallynotifystudents of class cancellations.

Reading Text

강선우 여성가족부 장관 후보자가 과거 교수 시절 무려 5주나 결강했다는 의혹이 추가로 제기됐다. 당시 수강생들 증언에 따르면 강 후보자는 수업 직전 일방적으로 휴강 통보를 하거나 음성 녹음 파일을 틀어놓고 '대체 수업'이라고 하기도 했다.

Kang Seon-woo, the candidate for the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is accused of missing classes for as long as 5 weeks during her time as a professor. According to the testimony of her former students, Kang would unilaterally notify them of class cancellations right before the scheduled class time, or play an audio recording and call it a "substitute class."

강 후보자의 무단 결강 이유는 정치 활동 때문이었던 것으로 전해졌다. 강의 계약 뒤 1학기도 채우지 않고 문재인 대선 캠프에 합류하기 위해 학교를 떠났다는 설명이다.

It is reported that the reason for Kang's unauthorized absences was her political activities. After signing the teaching contract, she left the university without even completing one semester to join the presidential campaign of Moon Jae-in.

당시 수강생 A씨는 강 후보자에 대해 "장관 자격이 없다"고 비판했다. 또 다른 수강생들도 "당시에도 책임감 없이 교수직을 내팽개치는 사람이 어떤 정치를 하겠냐", "무의미한 수업에 등록금이 아까울 정도" 등 반응을 보였다.

A student, A, criticized Kang, saying that she is not qualified to be a minister. Other students also reacted, questioning how someone who abandoned their professorial responsibilities without a sense of responsibility could be expected to engage in meaningful politics, and expressing that the meaningless classes were a waste of their tuition fees.

강의를 관둔 이후 태도에 대한 지적도 나왔다.

There have also been criticisms regarding Kang's attitude after leaving her teaching position.

Grammar Points

-에 따라(서) depending on / according to

Attached to a noun, '-에 따르면' means 'according to (a source)'. It introduces information cited from someone or something.

📖 당시 수강생들 증언에 따르면 강 후보자는 수업 직전 일방적으로 휴강 통보를 하거나 음성 녹음 파일을 틀어놓고 '대체 수업'이라고 하기도 했다. According to the testimonies of students at the time, the candidate unilaterally notified them of class cancellations right before class, or played an audio recording file and called it a 'substitute class'.

✏️ 뉴스 보도에 따르면 내일 비가 많이 온다고 해요. According to the news report, they say it will rain a lot tomorrow.

-(으)ㄹ 정도(로) to the extent that

Attached to a verb stem with -(으)ㄹ, it means 'to the extent that' or 'so much that', expressing the degree of a situation.

📖 "무의미한 수업에 등록금이 아까울 정도" 등 반응을 보였다. They showed reactions such as 'the tuition feels wasted on such meaningless classes'.

✏️ 그 영화는 눈물이 날 정도로 슬펐어요. That movie was sad to the extent that it made me cry.

Cultural Notes

The controversy surrounding Kang Seon-woo's alleged unauthorized absences from her classes as a professor at Sungkyunkwan University has raised questions about her qualifications and commitment as a public servant. This incident highlights the importance of accountability and responsibility in both academic and political spheres in Korean society.

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📝 Comprehension Questions

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Q1

What is the main controversy surrounding Kang Seon-woo, the candidate for the Minister of Gender Equality and Family?

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Q2

How did Kang Seon-woo allegedly handle class cancellations during her time as a professor?

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Q3

What was the reason behind Kang Seon-woo's unauthorized absences from her classes?

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Q4

How did Kang Seon-woo's former students react to her actions as a professor?

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Q5

What other criticisms have been made regarding Kang Seon-woo's attitude after leaving her teaching position?

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