(3rd LD) Top scorer in tax accountant exam turns himself in over AI-assisted cheating

(ATTN: ADDS presidential office's response in paras 6-9)

SEOUL, Nov. 15 (Yonhap) -- The top scorer in this year's certified tax accountant exam admitted Sunday to cheating in both rounds of the test using a miniature camera, a smartphone and generative artificial intelligence (AI) and said he had turned himself in to police.

The case is the latest in a series of AI-assisted cheating incidents in South Korea, where test-takers have recently been caught using AI glasses in university entrance exams and middle and high school tests.

The man, whose name has not been disclosed, made the admission on a lawyer's YouTube channel after the unusually high scores he revealed in a recent media interview sparked suspicions of cheating in online communities.

He also said he had used the same method to cheat on a certified public accountant exam.

South Korea's presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said it was following the developments "very seriously," particularly ahead of Thursday's nationwide college entrance exam.

Later Sunday, Cheong Wa Dae announced it will carry out a full investigation on all suspected AI cheating cases in every national certification test.

"The fairness of these tests is directly related to the people's trust, and any act of cheating must not be tolerated," said Ha Joon-kyung, the presidential chief of staff for policy, who presided over an emergency meeting in light of the cheating scandal. "Fundamental measures to prevent cheating using AI and other types of new technology must be put in place,"

In particular, Ha called on the education ministry to guard against AI-assisted cheating during the upcoming college entrance exam.

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook is scheduled to convene a meeting with vice ministers of the education ministry, labor ministry and interior ministry, among other relevant government bodies, on Monday to further discuss measures to prevent AI-backed cheating.

The government has already pledged zero tolerance for cheating involving AI glasses during the exam and stepped up measures to detect high-tech devices at test sites.

The man reportedly ranked first overall in the certified tax accountant exam. In the first round in April, he missed only one out of 160 questions, earning 397.5 points out of a possible 400. He scored 192 and 190 in the two accounting subjects and 114 and 167 in the two tax law subjects in the second round in July.

"I cheated by taking pictures of the questions with a miniature camera, sending them to AI, and checking the answers on a smartphone," the man said on the YouTube channel. "I wrote down everything I did in a statement of voluntary surrender and submitted it to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency."

Police said they received the statement and vowed to conduct a swift and thorough investigation in line with procedures.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy said it plans to move quickly to suspend the validity of his certificate confirming that he passed the exam.

Under the law, a person found to have cheated can have the exam invalidated and be barred from taking it for five years from the date the sanction is imposed.

The case could also lead to criminal charges, depending on the outcome of the police investigation.

The man apologized for his actions, saying he regrets them deeply.

"I wasn't able to save much money at my previous job, and after quitting the company I started my own business, but that didn't work out for various reasons, including high costs caused by the Russia war," he said.

"Starting over in my mid-30s, I felt helpless and the fear of not knowing how long I would end up studying made me anxious," he continued. "I wanted to once again make my parents proud by passing even if by cheating."

In October, two college applicants were caught using AI glasses to cheat during entrance exams at two universities in Seoul. Four cases of cheating involving AI glasses have also been reported at middle and high schools this year, according to education ministry data collected from schools nationwide between Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.

hague@yna.co.kr
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