AI cheating case raises scrutiny over test administration ahead of Suneung

State-administered examinations have become a subject of public scrutiny after a top scorer on a state exam admitted to cheating via artificial intelligence, raising questions over the government’s ability to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.

Han Won-seok, 34, admitted to using AI to cheat on the Certified Tax Accountant examination in a video posted to his attorney’s YouTube channel Sunday. He had come under suspicion after publicizing his performance in the exam online last week.

“I cheated by taking photos of the questions with a micro-camera during the test. The images were sent to AI, and I could check the answers on my smartphone,” Han said. He added that he had turned himself in to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

The admission immediately drew criticism over the government’s preparedness to ensure exam fairness. A pan-government emergency meeting was convened, while the presidential office said it was paying special attention to the case.

Attention has now shifted to the College Scholastic Ability Test, known as Suneung, scheduled for Thursday. About 550,000 students are expected to sit the exam, where even a slight difference in scores can have a significant impact on university admissions.

During a briefing Sunday, Cheong Wa Dae addressed broader examination security measures when asked about the AI-assisted cheating incident and its potential impact.

“For the upcoming Suneung, the Ministry of Education and relevant government agencies should examine every possibility to prevent cheating involving AI,” Ha Joon-kyung, a policy chief at Cheong Wa Dae, said.

“The authorities should use all possible methods available at the current level of technology. At the same time, please ensure that test management does not create unnecessary anxiety for students who wear ordinary glasses or use medical equipment.”

In this year's tax accountant examination, Han got a near-perfect score on the first-stage test, answering only one of 160 questions incorrectly. He answered every question correctly in the tax law section, on which the average score among all examinees was 30.18 out of 100.

The tax accountant examination is known for its difficulty, with candidates often saying that it takes years of full-time study to pass.

Critics pointed to photographs of Han’s study materials that appeared to show little wear, as well as a misspelling in his handwritten notes on a key term. Han had attributed his results to his study methods and good fortune, saying that “guessing correctly is also part of performance.”

However, amid continued scrutiny, he eventually admitted to cheating. Although he did not use AI-powered glasses, as many had suspected, his confession marked the first known case in which a successful candidate for a state-administered examination acknowledged using AI to cheat.

Police assigned the case to a metropolitan investigation unit following Han's confession.

The Human Resources Development Service of Korea, which administers the tax accountant examination, said it would file a complaint against Han for obstruction of official duties and consult with the Finance Ministry and the National Tax Service on follow-up measures.

The case has raised questions about possible gaps in test security and whether results from previous examinations should also be scrutinized.

Han was able to take the examination in front of a proctor without being detected. Camera footage from the examination room did not show him wearing the suspected glasses. HRD Korea said Friday that its review of his first-stage examination grading had found no irregularities.

Han also confessed that he had used the same equipment during the Certified Public Accountant examination, an instance of alleged cheating that had not come to light before his confession.

Online commentators have called for other examinations to be scrutinized, pointing to what they describe as a series of unusually high scores and short-term passes across various tests this year.

One such case involves a candidate who achieved the first perfect score in the 19-year history of the Legal Education Eligibility Test. The candidate has said he will live stream a demonstration of his reading-comprehension skills using questions from the CSAT.

Cheong Wa Dae said it would look into suspicious cases involving state-administered qualification examinations to determine whether AI had been used to cheat.

Doubts are also growing over the government's ability to address AI-assisted cheating in future examinations.

Cheong Wa Dae said it would deploy personnel dedicated to detecting AI-assisted cheating and strengthen training for test-takers and proctors. Critics, however, say the limits of relying on human monitoring have already been exposed.

“The existing examination supervision system failed to detect this kind of cheating. Those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with the law and principles, and measures to address loopholes in the supervision system must be drawn up urgently,” the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said in an official commentary.

The main opposition People Power Party also criticized the government for failing to develop technology-based solutions despite growing concerns over AI-assisted cheating.

“Even radio-frequency detectors failed to detect AI glasses during a mock test conducted by the HRD Korea. All five cases the agency detected were identified only because proctors visually noticed light or heard sounds coming from the glasses,” Choi Bo-yoon, chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, said.

“The government should review its system for responding to advanced electronic devices across national examinations and expedite the verification and deployment of effective detection technologies,” Choi added.