South Korean teacher and parent arrested in late-night exam theft scandal
The incident follows a series of exam-related scandals blamed on the country’s high-pressure education system
A teacher and a student’s parent have been arrested in South Korea after allegedly breaking into a high school in the wee hours to steal final exam papers in a case that has renewed concerns over a decline in academic integrity and illegal tutoring.
The incident took place at around 1.20am on July 4, when the teacher and the father of a reportedly high-performing student allegedly entered a high school in the city of Andong, North Gyeongsang province, according to police. They were helped by a school facilities manager who is also under arrest.
The break-in was foiled when the school’s security system was triggered. Police arrested the teacher shortly after, and she was detained on Monday following a pretrial hearing at a court in Daegu. The presiding judge cited the “risk of destroying evidence and fleeing” as reasons for approving the detention.
On Tuesday, the parent and the facilities manager were arrested after a separate court hearing. The parent, who is in his 40s, has been charged with trespassing and business interference, while the staff member is accused of enabling theft and unlawful entry into the school premises.
Speaking to reporters before the hearing, the facilities manager said: “I am sorry … I will cooperate fully with the investigation.”
Investigators believe the trio had targeted exam materials stored at the school ahead of the final term exams. The daughter of the parent has reportedly consistently ranked at the top of her class, but it is yet to be determined whether her previous grades were linked to similar misconduct.
The teacher, who worked at the high school in Andong until February this year, is currently employed at another high school in Gyeonggi province. Authorities have confirmed that she was also providing private tutoring to the student – a violation of national rules prohibiting actively employed schoolteachers from engaging in such paid extracurricular activities.
Police reportedly found records of financial transactions between the parent and the teacher, raising suspicions of bribery. Investigations are ongoing into the scope of the alleged academic misconduct, including whether other test papers were leaked previously.
Following the incident, the school convened an academic review committee and disciplinary board on July 14. The student has been given a zero grade for the semester and recommended for expulsion, pending approval for a final decision.
Authorities said that further action regarding the student’s academic record from earlier years – including whether to retroactively adjust grades and class rankings – would depend on the outcome of the police investigation and advice of the education ministry.
“We are investigating the scope of the stolen test content, the timeline of leaks, possible co-conspirators, and whether money changed hands,” a police spokesperson was quoted as saying by local news outlet Kyunghyang Shinmun.
Unhandled type: inline-plus-widget {“type”:”inline-plus-widget”}
The incident follows a series of exam-related scandals and cases involving the shadow education sector – referring to the unregulated system of private tutoring and exam coaching – across South Korea this year, which have intensified scrutiny on academic integrity.
In June, a mock CSAT exam paper was leaked online ahead of its nationwide schedule. The English section’s answers circulated in chat rooms before the test began, triggering investigations across multiple education offices.
In March, a temporary teacher at a high school in Bundang was found to have leaked midterm and final exam questions to a nearby private academy, prompting retests and a criminal referral.
Separately, prosecutors revealed in February that over 240 teachers had sold mock exam questions to private academies between 2018 and June 2023, earning more than 21 billion won (US$15.2 million). One Seoul-based instructor allegedly paid tens of millions of won to acquire questions from public school teachers.
South Korea’s education system is notorious for its high-pressure culture, with university entrance exams often viewed as life-defining milestones.
Intense parental pressure, relentless competition, and the dominance of private academies have fuelled a parallel industry in after-school tutoring and exam preparations. Critics argue this culture not only incentivises misconduct but also places undue mental strain on students.
