'Illegal Private Tutoring Followed by Direct Auditing' 13 Music College Admission Corruption Professors Referred to Prosecution

1 Person Detained, 16 Referred Without Detention
High Scores Given to Private Tutoring Students in Review

University professors who facilitated the fraudulent admission of students they privately tutored during music college entrance exams, along with a broker who connected them with illegal tutoring, have been referred to the prosecution.

The Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 10th that 17 individuals, including broker A, were sent to the prosecution on charges of violating the Academy Act and obstruction of business. Among them, Professor B, who received compensation from parents in exchange for university admission, was handed over to the prosecution while in custody.

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency building.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

According to the police, 13 university professors conspired with A from 2021 to February 2023 to provide private vocal music tutoring to entrance exam candidates in the Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu areas of Seoul.

Under the current Academy Act, teachers are restricted from providing private tutoring, but they conducted a total of 244 lessons at unregistered tutoring centers and received approximately 130 million KRW in tuition fees.

Among them, five professors including B are also accused of directly participating as university entrance exam evaluators and assessing the students they illegally tutored. When A requested illicit admission favors, they concealed the fact of private tutoring and served as evaluators for several universities. They then identified the tutored students through their voices and assigned seating order, awarding them high scores to assist in their university admission.

The police also confirmed circumstances where some professors received money and gifts from parents and brokers. B received cash and luxury handbags from two parents as compensation, and Professor C was also found to have received valuables from broker A after the announcement of successful candidates. The police applied charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act to two parents who gave bribes under the pretext of university admission favors and two professors who accepted them.

The police obtained intelligence on the admission fraud in June last year and have been investigating 56 related individuals. During the investigation, they conducted three raids on A’s tutoring centers and 16 university admissions offices that were victims of the admission fraud.

The police emphasized, "The professors accepted high-priced private tutoring as a means of earning pocket money despite knowing it was illegal," and added, "We will respond strictly to admission fraud that causes disillusionment among examinees and establish a sound educational order that guarantees equal opportunity and fairness."