South Korea tax exam top scorer admits using AI to cheat

SEOUL — The top scorer in South Korea's most recent tax accountant qualification examination admitted on Sunday that he used generative artificial intelligence and hidden devices to cheat, reversing earlier denials and prompting an emergency government meeting days before the national college entrance exam.

Han Won-seok confessed in a video posted on the YouTube channel of his lawyer, Lee Don-ho, according to The Korea Times.

"I cheated on the tax accountant examination," Han said. "I sincerely apologize for the harm my wrongdoing has caused so many people."

Near-perfect marks drew scrutiny

Han answered 159 of 160 questions correctly in the first-stage exam in April, scoring 397.5 out of 400. Three months later he scored 663 out of 800 in the second-stage written exam and was named the overall top scorer, The Guardian reported.

Han said he cheated by using a miniature camera to photograph exam questions and send them to an AI tool, then checked the answers on a smartphone. He also admitted using the same method in the first stage of the certified public accountant exam. He initially faced accusations of using AI smart glasses, which he denied.

Police investigation opens

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it had launched a formal investigation and would pursue "swift and rigorous" fact-finding. Han said he had submitted a written confession and would cooperate fully with efforts to prevent cheating in future exams.

The scandal has rattled a country where standardized tests heavily shape social mobility, and it lands just before Thursday's annual College Scholastic Ability Test. A senior presidential office official said the matter was being taken "very seriously," and the presidential chief of staff for policy convened an emergency meeting. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Friday the government would "prepare thoroughly in advance" to ensure the entrance exam is conducted fairly.

Explaining his motive, Han said he had struggled to run his own business after leaving a corporate job, citing rising operating costs linked to the war in Ukraine, and feared disappointing his parents.