The author of the psychology book 'Wise Parents Keep a Suitable Distance,' published last January, is embroiled in a controversy over false qualifications. It has been revealed that the recommendation letters from Harvard professors included in the book were not obtained directly.
The publisher, Gilbut Publishing Company, stated in a press release on the 10th, "We discovered that there are controversies regarding the author's qualifications for 'Wise Parents Keep a Suitable Distance' and verified the facts," adding, "As a result, we confirmed that a significant portion of the author's primary qualifications is false, and that the recommendation letters included in the book were not obtained directly from the individuals involved."
The author of 'Wise Parents Keep a Suitable Distance,' Ms. Kim Min-ji, introduced herself as a graduate of Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and neuroscience, a doctorate in clinical psychology from UCLA, and a certified clinical psychologist in the United States. However, a controversy arose through online communities as it was noted that Ms. Kim’s papers and degrees could not be found at all, casting doubt on her qualifications.
In response, the publisher explained, "We confirmed online records showing that the author had given lectures at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office, among others, and we assume that those institutions would have verified the lecturer's qualifications." They added, "When we held a meeting in the author's counseling office before the contract, we noticed certificates issued by various institutions, including Harvard University, were present," and, "Additionally, the author had a good reputation among clinical psychology professionals in the area, so we did not realize the possibility of the author's credentials being false."
It has also been confirmed that the letters of recommendation used for promoting the book were not obtained directly from the individuals. It was reported that Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor Howard Gardner, Yale University emotional intelligence research expert David Caruso, and UC Davis psychology professor Dean Keith Simonton highly recommended the book; however, when an internet user emailed the professors directly to confirm, they received replies indicating that no such recommendations were made.
The publisher stated, "The recommendation letters included in the book were received from the author and incorporated," adding, "The author had said she would get recommendations from her supervising professors or academic contacts with whom she was exchanging the English manuscript, and later provided us with the text of the recommendations." They continued, "By that time, we had already been communicating with the author for a long time and trusted her, and since the author frequently shared updates on progress, we were misled into believing that the procedures were being conducted normally, which led us not to suspect the authenticity of the recommendations."
The publisher acknowledged, "We accept the responsibility for not sufficiently verifying the author's qualifications and experience, regardless of the reasons and processes, and for failing to question the authenticity of the recommendation letters." The publisher has immediately stopped sales of the problematic book and plans to recall copies distributed to bookstores.
The publisher plans to take legal action against the author. They stated, "We have confirmed that the author signed additional contracts with several other publishers," and, "We intend to share this information with those publishers to prevent further publication of the book and to hold the author legally accountable."