A South Korean candidate who emerged as the top scorer in a national tax accountant examination has admitted using artificial intelligence to cheat, saying financial difficulties influenced his decision.
The candidate, who ranked first in both stages of the qualification test held in April and July, confessed through his lawyer that he used AI to obtain answers during the examination.
He scored 397.5 out of 400 in the first round, answering 159 of the 160 questions correctly. His performance raised suspicions that he had used smart glasses to cheat, an allegation he initially denied.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency confirmed on Sunday that it had received his confession and launched an investigation.
“We received a written confession through the test taker’s lawyer this morning regarding cheating on the tax accountant exam,” the police agency said.
In a video shared on his lawyer’s YouTube channel, the candidate expressed regret over his actions and explained how he carried out the scheme.
“I used a miniature camera to photograph the exam questions and sent them to AI, then checked the answers on my smartphone,” he said.
Explaining his motive, he said he had been struggling financially after leaving his job to establish a business.
“I wanted to make money, and I hated seeing myself disappointing my parents after quitting a good job,” he said.
His lawyer declined to provide further details, citing concerns that other candidates could copy the cheating method.
The examination is organised by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK), which said two supervisors were present during the candidate’s test.
The confession comes as South Korean authorities intensify efforts to prevent the use of smart glasses and other technology to cheat in examinations.
On Sunday, the HRDK disclosed that an AI-powered monitoring system had detected a candidate wearing smart glasses during a gas engineer certification examination last month.
The government also announced in October that it would pursue criminal charges against students caught using such devices during the national university entrance examination.
With the annual university entrance test, known as the Suneung, scheduled for November 19, the presidential office said it was taking the issue seriously.
Chief of staff Lim Kwang-hyun said the government was working on measures to tackle the problem, with a meeting scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
