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IOC suspends South Korea's Moon over plagiarism allegations

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's Moon Dae-sung has been suspended as a member of the International Olympic Committee over allegations that he plagiarized his doctoral thesis.

The IOC said that that Moon's membership will be suspended until South Korea's Supreme Court reaches a verdict over his dispute with a Seoul university, which stripped him of his degree in 2014 after concluding that he stole from the works of another researcher.

The IOC says the decision was based on a recommendation by its Ethics Commission, which acknowledged damage to the reputation of the Olympic Movement.

A former taekwondo Olympic champion, Moon's eight-year term as an IOC member is due to end after this year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.