According to police, the break-in occurred at around 1:20 a.m. on July 4 at a high school in Andong City (North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea). A father whose child is a high-achieving student, a female teacher and the school's facilities manager (who opened the door to assist) tried to break in to get the exam papers.

However, the school's security system triggered an alarm, which led to the incident being discovered. The teacher was arrested shortly afterwards and formally detained on July 14 after a hearing at the Daegu District Court. The judge said the detention order was approved due to concerns that the suspect might destroy evidence or flee.

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The man accused of breaking into and stealing exam papers appeared at the Daegu Court in Andong City (South Korea) on July 15. Photo: YONHAP NEWS

On July 15, the court issued further arrest warrants for the father and the school administrator. The parents were charged with trespassing and obstructingeducational activities, while the school administrator was charged with aiding and abetting theft and violating school entry regulations.

According to SCMP , through investigation, the police identified three people who targeted the stored exam papers for the final semester exams. Notably, the female teacher taught at this school until February 2025 and is now working at another school in Gyeonggi Province. She was also tutoring the student who was the father’s son. This is an act prohibited for teachers working in public schools.

In addition, some financial transactions between teachers and parents were discovered, raising suspicions of bribery. Police are continuing to expand the investigation into the possibility of leaked exam papers from previous years.

Yonhap news agency reported that on July 14, the school held a disciplinary council meeting. The female student involved was given zero points for all subjects this semester and was recommended to be expelled. The review of previous years' grades and academic rankings will depend on the results of the investigation and instructions from the Ministry of Education.

The incident occurred amid a series of scandals involving exam questions and illegal tutoring in South Korea. In June, a college entrance exam (CSAT) mock test was leaked online. In March, a contract teacher was found to have passed exam questions to a private tutoring center. In the 2018-2023 period alone, more than 240 teachers were accused of selling exam questions to tutoring centers, earning more than 21 billion won (about 395 billion VND).

South Korea’s education system is notorious for its rigorous academics, with the college entrance exam considered a “decisive milestone.” Many believe that parental pressure, a fiercely competitive academic culture, and the proliferation of cram schools have contributed to alarming levels of cheating among students, parents, and teachers.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/giao-vien-va-phu-huynh-bi-bat-vi-dot-nhap-truong-hoc-trom-de-thi-2422149.html