South Korea’s AI Cheating Scandal Threatens Integrity of Upcoming College Entrance Exams

The scores achieved by the top scorer on South Korea’s national tax accountant exam this year appeared suspiciously high. On Sunday, doubts were confirmed when he admitted to using generative AI to cheat.

The controversy follows months of speculation after he earned near‑perfect scores on hundreds of questions across two exams administered in April and July. It has also heightened pressure on organizers of South Korea’s annual college entrance exam scheduled for Thursday.

“I cheated using electronic devices and generative AI. My top‑score result was not the product of fair effort,” Han said, apologizing on the YouTube channel of attorney Lee Don‑ho.

Han, who placed first in both the April and July qualification exam rounds, confessed through his lawyer that he used AI to obtain answers during the tests. He explained that he cheated by photographing exam questions with a micro‑camera, transmitting them to an AI service, and reviewing the responses on a smartphone.

His score of 397.5 out of 400 in the first round—just one mistake among 160 questions—had prompted accusations that he used smart glasses, which he initially denied.

Speaking on camera while wearing a face mask, Han said he had submitted a written confession to Seoul police.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated, “We received a written confession through the examinee’s lawyer this morning concerning cheating on the tax accountant exam,” and noted that the case had been assigned to investigators.

The scandal has shaken a nation where standardized tests heavily influence social mobility and career paths. It arrives just days before Thursday’s annual national college entrance exam, a high‑pressure event for which many South Korean students have spent much of their lives preparing.

“The presidential office views this matter very seriously, and because the college entrance exam is next week, we have been working hard to prepare countermeasures,” a senior presidential office official told reporters on Sunday.

The official said that reports of potential cheating in the certified public accountant exam were concerning, and added that the presidential chief of staff for policy would convene an emergency meeting later in the afternoon to address the issue.

Prime Minister Han Seong‑sook acknowledged public concerns about AI‑assisted cheating on Friday. The government stated it would “prepare thoroughly in advance and closely oversee the process until the very end to ensure the college entrance exam is conducted fairly and stably,” according to her office.

Source link