TOEIC instructor who sold test answers to test-takers sentenced to 3-year jail term

(Herald DB)

A Seoul court recently sentenced a former hagwon teacher to a three-year jail term for selling TOEIC test answers to multiple test-takers for money.

The Seoul Eastern District Court found the defendant surnamed Hong guilty of obstruction of business as stipulated in Article 314 of the Criminal Act. In addition to the jail term, the court also ordered the seizure of 76.6 million won ($55,000) in assets.

Investigators found that the 27-year-old defendant had committed the crimes to fund internet gambling. He sold TOEIC answers to 18 individuals 23 times between July 2021 and October 2022, pocketing 80 million won in total.

"Hong committed the crimes repeatedly and planned them in advance... His motives are condemnable, since it was to fund gambling," the court stated in its verdict.

The 18 test-takers who bought the illegally-acquired TOEIC questions were each sentenced to fines ranging from 8 million to 10 million. The court decried their actions for infringing upon the fairness of the tests.

Upon learning of their actions last year, the Korea TOEIC Committee nullified their test scores and banned them from taking the test for five years.

The TOEIC -- Test of English for International Communication -- is among the most widely used English proficiency tests in South Korea in college admissions and hiring, with universities even requiring that students score above a certain minimum level on the TOEIC to graduate.

Investigators found that Hong had used the bathroom break following the listening comprehension portion of the test to help his clients cheat. He would sit for the exam himself and, during the bathroom break, use his mobile phone, which he had left hidden in the bathroom, to take photos of his answers, which he had written down, and send them to his clients.

His clients then checked Hong's messages on their phones, which they had each left hidden in the bathroom as well while taking the test. For those who were not able to use their phones, Hong also hid a piece of paper with the answers on it, which they would check while using the bathroom.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)