Parent, teacher sentenced to prison for stealing exam papers from high school in Andong

A parent and a contract teacher both received prison sentences on Wednesday for repeatedly breaking into a high school and stealing test papers. The Daegu District Court sentenced the parent to four years and six months in prison.

An image of a statue of Justitia, the goddess of justice [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

A parent and a contract teacher both received prison sentences on Wednesday for repeatedly breaking into a high school and stealing test papers.

The Daegu District Court sentenced the parent to four years and six months in prison and the contract teacher to five years, and ordered the teacher to forfeit 31.5 million won ($21,000).

A school administrative office head who turned a blind eye to nighttime trespassing received a sentence of one year and six months in prison.

The parent’s daughter received a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, for interfering with school operations after memorizing stolen exam questions and answers and taking the tests despite knowing they had been illegally obtained.

The teacher, who had previously served as the student’s homeroom teacher, and the parent broke into a high school in Andong, North Gyeongsang, 11 times between 2023 and July last year. They stole midterm and final exam papers on seven occasions while the student attended the school.

Investigators also found that the teacher received 31.5 million won from the parent over 16 transactions. The student, who studied the leaked exams in advance, consistently ranked first in her school’s academic evaluations.

The scheme came to light on July 4 last year when a private security system activated during the final exam period.

“The defendants seriously undermined trust in the education system,” the court said. “They gravely infringed on the rights of students at the school to learn and to be evaluated fairly. In a fiercely competitive academic environment, their actions caused deep frustration and anger among students and parents who prepared diligently. They also damaged the professional pride of many educators who carried out their duties with a sense of responsibility.

“The school’s faculty have requested strict punishment, and the parent even destroyed a phone that served as evidence. However, the teacher and others confessed to their crimes, and the parent deposited 100 million won with the school."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]