South Korea’s exam paper thieves suspected to have been active for at least 2 years

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The country is known for placing extreme emphasis on academic achievement.

The high school has decided to expel the student and give scores of zero to all the tests she has taken.

PHOTO: AFP

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SEOUL - As police investigate an exam paper theft case at a high school involving a student’s parent and a former teacher, officials now believe that they had been

stealing papers since 2023

, shortly after the student entered the school.

The two suspects were apprehended earlier this week, after they broke into the high school in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, to steal the exam papers, but set off a break-in alarm.

Officials at the Andong Police Station is currently investigating the 18-year-old student as well, who is believed to have benefitted from the exam paper theft. She was summoned for questioning on July 16, but claimed that she had nothing to do with the crime.

The high school has decided to expel the student and give scores of zero to all the tests she has taken at the school. The student, who was in her final year, had reportedly been at the top of her class since she joined the school.

According to local broadcaster TV Chosun on July 16, the teacher told investigators that she participated in the exam thefts since the student was a freshman, which would be in 2023. The suspect said she either stole the papers or took photos of them to deliver to the parent.

The 31-year-old teacher had taught at the school until February last year, but she continued to break into the school to steal papers even after she left school.

Both the teacher and the 48-year-old mother of the student have been placed under arrest, as was a male employee of the school who had cooperated in the break-in and deleted the security footage. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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