In South Korea, a high school teacher and a student's father were arrested for allegedly breaking into a school late at night to steal exam papers. Their attempt was made at 01:20 local time on July 4 at a school in Andong, a city southeast of Seoul.
The theft attempt was thwarted when the school's security alarm went off, UNN reports, citing BBC.
Details
The teacher has been charged with bribery and illegal entry, while the father has been charged with illegal entry. The school's facility manager, who allegedly conspired with them, was also arrested for allowing the theft and illegal entry into the school.
Authorities claim that the teacher privately tutored the child of the arrested father. But teachers actively working in South Korean schools are not allowed to do so.
The student "consistently had top grades," according to public broadcaster KBS, but it is unclear whether his academic success is related to previous instances of exam paper theft.
Police also suspect that money changed hands between the father and the teacher, and that this was not their first invasion attempt.
Hyper-competition in the education system
This incident is the latest in a series of exam-related scandals in South Korea, a country known for its hyper-competitive education system.
In June, police announced that they were investigating a leak of answers to a nationwide English exam via an online chat.
In February, 249 people, including dozens of school teachers, were detained for selling practice questions for the challenging Suneung exam to private academies.
In late 2023, dozens of students sued the government after teachers accidentally cut their test short by 90 seconds.
South Korea consistently ranks among industrialized countries with the highest stress levels for young people aged 11 to 15.
Addition
Prosecutors reported suspicion against a 26-year-old Indian citizen who, for a monetary reward, facilitated the successful passing of the KROK exam. Students paid 9,000 dollars for filling out exam forms with correct answers.