SEOUL - POLICE in the South Korean capital have arrested two men suspected of making tens of thousands of dollars by using high tech electronic devices to send real-time answers to exam cheats.

The suspects, named Kim and Park, are accused of making around 50 million won (S$56,339) from 28 university students and job-seekers in exchange for answers to the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), newspapers reported on Wednesday.

'The fraudsters took advantage of the desperation of low-scoring test-takers as TOEIC scores have a big effect on getting jobs and promotions,' a police officer told the Korea Times.

The test-takers are also being investigated, the JoongAng Daily added.

Park, a former English teacher, is accused of sitting the exam and using a small wireless device to send answers to Kim, who was in a car outside with a wireless vibrating device.

The device would vibrate once if the answer was 'A,' twice for 'B' and so on, the JoongAng Daily said.

Kim is accused of then passing on the answers to examinees inside the room, who wore an earphone the size of a grain of rice and an antenna that looked like a necklace.

Test-takers at other locations are also said to have received answers via text message. Kim is accused of instructing them the day before on ways to conceal their cellphones to avoid handing them in before the examination.

Kim allegedly offered services at different prices - with examinees receiving the answers either by cellphone text message or an earphone. -- AFP