Blue House to Investigate All Suspected AI Cheating Cases in National Qualification Exams

[Financial News] On the 15th, four days before the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the Blue House decided to conduct a comprehensive investigation into suspected cases of cheating using artificial intelligence (AI) across all national qualification exams. The move came after this year's top-ranked candidate in the tax accountant exam admitted to cheating with generative AI. The government also reviewed oversight measures, including assigning dedicated staff at each test site to identify AI devices.
The Blue House made the decision at an emergency meeting on measures to prevent the spread of cheating using AI, chaired that day by Policy Office Chief Ha Jun-kyung. The meeting also reviewed procedures for checking AI devices among all examinees and plans to strengthen training for candidates and proctors. Investigative agencies, including the police, plan to promptly investigate cheating cases and form dedicated teams to investigate even those behind serious cases, such as new methods or organized cheating.
Ha urged, “Relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Education, should thoroughly examine every possibility to prevent AI-assisted cheating in the upcoming CSAT and make full use of all methods currently available, such as thermal imaging cameras, while taking every care in administering and supervising the exam so that candidates who wear ordinary glasses or use medical devices are not intimidated or otherwise adversely affected.” He also called for checks on the distribution of equipment such as miniature cameras used for cheating and for ways to encourage people to report it.
At a briefing that day at the Chunchugwan Press Center at the Blue House, Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Kwang-hyun said, “The Blue House is also taking the matter very seriously, and, particularly with the CSAT coming next week, we have been working hard to prepare measures to address it.”
At a senior secretaries and aides meeting he chaired at the Blue House on the 5th, President Lee Jae-myung said, “I understand that there have been cases of cheating using advanced devices such as smart glasses, which have recently become controversial, and we need to make a special effort to prevent this.” He called for training and protection measures for exam proctors and said measures should also be drawn up to prevent cheating across exams administered by national and public institutions and schools at all levels.
According to the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Tax Accountant Qualification Deliberation Committee will meet soon to consider whether to suspend the validity of the certificate awarded to top-ranked candidate A. A ministry official said, “We are at the stage of reviewing suspension of the certificate's validity in accordance with established procedures,” adding, “We plan to convene the Tax Accountant Qualification Deliberation Committee soon to deliberate and make a decision.”
A ranked first after taking the first- and second-stage exams for the 63rd tax accountant examination, held in April and July. A missed only one of 160 questions on the first-stage exam and earned perfect scores in three of the four subjects. On a YouTube channel run by A's legal representative that day, A disclosed having cheated on the first- and second-stage tax accountant exams and the certified public accountant exam using a miniature camera, a smartphone and generative AI. The police received A's written statement of self-surrender and assigned the case to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Unit.
The government plans to hold a vice-ministerial meeting of relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, chaired by the Prime Minister on the 16th to further discuss measures to address cheating using AI.
[email protected] Seong Seok-woo Reporter