By Nick Butler

Moon Dae-sung faces an IOC investigation after being found guilty of plagiarism in South Korea ©IOCMarch 1 - South Korea's International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Moon Dae-sung has reportedly been found guilty of plagiarising his doctoral thesis in a decision likely to lead to the re-opening of an investigation by the IOC Ethics Commission.


Moon, winner of a taekwondo gold medal at Athens 2004 and is also a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission, was first accused in April 2012 of plagiarising much of his doctorate thesis at Kookmin University.

According to reports in South Korea, the University Committee announced its final guilty verdict earlier this week after finding that a substantial portion of the thesis was identical to another written by a scholar at Myongji University. 

The University will decide punitive measures which could include the annulling of his degree.

Moon Dae-sung is formerly a taekwondo player who won a gold medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games ©AFP/Getty ImagesMoon Dae-sung, now 37, is formerly a taekwondo player who won a gold medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games ©AFP/Getty Images







An investigation into the allegations was launched by the IOC Ethics Commission in 2012 but, despite repeatedly asking the University for its own findings, the IOC had never received a reply and in December 2013 decided to close the case - albeit with the corollary of keeping it on file in case of future developments.

Speaking today, an IOC spokesman told insidethegames they were not yet in a position to comment as no Ethics Commission position has been communicated - although it can be assumed that, if confirmed, the case will be reopened.

This marks the second case of an IOC member being involved in a plagiarism scandal following one involving Hungary's Pal Schmitt in 2012.

Schmitt, a double Olympic fencing gold medallist and IOC member since 1983, was reprimanded by the Ethics Commission after a panel at Semmelweis University found his thesis had been plagiarised and revoked his academic title.

The scandal also forced Schmitt to step down as President of Hungary.

The case of Moon also held political implications as the accusations first broke in 2012, barely a week after the he had successfully run to become a politician in the legislative district of Saha-gu under the ruling Saenuri Party.

He resigned from the party immediately after the allegations became public - while he also resigned his professorship at Donga University in Busan.

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