President Lee Jae Myung has called for tougher measures to prevent cheating with smart glasses and other advanced electronic devices ahead of South Korea's annual college entrance exam.
Lee stressed the need to ensure a fair testing environment for students preparing for the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, scheduled for Nov. 19.
“The government must make every effort to manage examination sites so that all test-takers can demonstrate their abilities in a safe and fair environment,” Lee said Thursday in his opening remarks at a weekly meeting with senior aides and secretaries.
“In particular, there are reports of cheating using advanced devices such as smart glasses, which have recently become a subject of controversy. We must make special efforts to prevent such cheating.”
The president’s remarks come amid growing concerns over the misuse of smart glasses in examinations, as devices that combine miniature cameras with artificial intelligence could capture test questions and seek outside assistance.
Concerns have intensified following suspected cheating incidents involving smart glasses during early-admission essay examinations at Yonsei University and the University of Seoul.
In October, one student at each university was caught with or attempting to use the devices. In both cases, the students reportedly wore ordinary glasses during pre-examination inspections before switching to smart glasses once the tests began.
The incidents have raised questions about whether existing examination procedures are sufficient to detect increasingly sophisticated cheating devices.
In late October, the Education Ministry announced plans to file criminal complaints against students caught wearing AI-powered smart glasses during the CSAT and to seek an extension of the ban on taking the exam for cheating from one year to three years.
The ministry also said it would assign one dedicated staff member to each examination site nationwide to identify smart glasses during this year's test.
Against this backdrop, Lee called for stronger supervision and tighter safeguards at examination sites.
“We must strengthen training to improve the capabilities of exam supervisors and thoroughly overhaul on-site response systems to prevent any possibility of cheating from the outset,” Lee said.
“We must also put in place adequate measures to protect on-site supervisors so that they are not intimidated by unreasonable complaints and can properly carry out their legitimate duties.”
Lee further called for “comprehensive measures be prepared to prevent cheating using smart devices and other such equipment in all types of examinations administered by the government, public institutions and schools at all levels.”
Lee also stressed the urgency of the measures, saying, “We need to prepare these measures rather quickly.”
“Under no circumstances should the value of sincere effort be denied. We must firmly maintain fairness down to every small detail,” Lee added.
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com
