South Korean tax exam top scorer confesses to cheating with hidden camera and AI

In brief

• A South Korean candidate who topped both rounds of the national tax accountancy exam has confessed to cheating.
• He says he used a hidden camera, a smartphone and generative AI, and scored 397.5 out of 400 in the first round.
• Seoul police are investigating, and authorities plan to annul his results.

Confession and police probe

Han Won-seok, 34, told investigators in writing, through his lawyer, that he had cheated in both rounds of the national tax accountancy qualification, held in April and July. He later described the scheme in a video published on the YouTube channel of his lawyer, Lee Don-Ho (Видавав себе за генія, а списував у ШІ: що загрожує переможцю національного іспиту – TSN) (South Korea's top scorer in tax accountancy exam admits cheating – BBC News). The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has confirmed it received the confession and has passed the case to investigators. Han said he regretted his actions.

How the scheme worked

Han said he used a miniature camera to photograph the exam questions, sent the images to an AI tool, and checked the answers on his smartphone. He said the cheating involved both electronic devices and generative AI in each round.

Why it raised suspicion

In the first round, Han scored 397.5 out of 400 points, missing just one of 160 questions. The result prompted suspicion and online speculation, and he initially denied any wrongdoing before changing his account. He said his change of heart came after he thought about the candidate who finished second.

Motive and what comes next

Han attributed his actions to financial strain after losing his job and a failed attempt to start his own business. Authorities plan to annul his results. Because standardised national exams weigh heavily on career paths in South Korea, the case is likely to draw scrutiny of how cheating-detection measures handle wearable and camera-based devices.