Posted Coded Language to Infer Electrical Engineer Master Exam Questions
Incheon District Court Sentences Man in His 30s to Six Months in Prison
A man in his 30s has been sentenced to prison for posting coded language online that could be used to infer questions on the national technical qualification practical exam.
According to the legal community on April 20, Incheon District Court Criminal Division 7 (Judge Moon Jongcheol) sentenced Mr. A (36), who was indicted for violating the National Technical Qualifications Act, to six months in prison.
Mr. A was put on trial for leaking exam questions on two occasions during the Electrical Engineer Master practical exam held at the Incheon Human Resources Development Institute from August 20 to 22, 2023. At the time, Mr. A was a test site supervisor. After previewing the exam papers in advance, he posted messages using coded language that could help infer the exam questions on an online forum for Electrical Engineer Master examinees via his mobile phone.
On the second day of the practical exam, after confirming that the test included a question about finding the 'minimum value,' he posted, "After eating meat yesterday, I want to eat 'minimum' today." On the last day of the exam, after seeing a question about 'arranging in ascending order from the smallest number,' he posted before the test, "Shall I eat 'minimum,' then go to the 'middle,' and finally the 'big house'?"
During the trial, Mr. A argued, "I merely suggested possible questions by coincidence and did not leak any exam content." However, the court did not accept this claim. The court determined that Mr. A participated in sorting the exam papers and used his mobile phone even after the exam papers were opened, concluding that these actions constituted a breach of confidentiality.
The court stated, "The defendant, driven by a distorted sense of heroism and desire for recognition, leaked content that could be used to infer the national technical qualification exam questions on an online forum, thereby significantly undermining the fairness and credibility of the exam. He has continued to make unreasonable excuses and has shown no remorse for his actions." The court added, "However, in determining the sentence, we considered that the crime does not appear to have been committed for purposes such as financial gain, aside from his desire for self-aggrandizement."
Article 25, Section 2 of the National Technical Qualifications Act stipulates that individuals entrusted by a designated organization to draft, review, or print exam questions, conduct interviews, or supervise practical exams in connection with the administration of national technical qualification tests must not disclose any confidential information learned in the course of their duties. Violation of this provision is punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
