Korea gets its Varsity Blues moment ("Gold Spoon" kids)

[OHMomof2]

@TiggerDad Yes, NYT. The gist:

The biggest political crisis for President Moon Jae-in of South Korea — weeks of large protests that have tarnished his image and forced his justice minister to resign — started with an obscure medical research paper.

Paper’s lead author lead was a high school student, child of the justice minister who has now been forced to resign.

It has particularly fueled outrage about the “gold spoon” children of the elite, who glide into top-flight universities and cushy jobs, leaving their “dirt spoon” peers to struggle in South Korea’s hobbled economy.

It describes parents forging certificates and awards and faking internships to get their kids into med school, elite colleges and the like.

The previous president of Korea was kicked out of office for a very similar thing: academic favoritism shown to a friend.

South Koreans’ confidence in education as a great equalizer has dissipated with the scandals in recent years, as they have seen the rich and powerful rig the country’s university-admission system to favor their own children.