46 Private Education Officials and Former and Current Teachers Indicted
Sidae Injae and Gangnam Daesung Academies Also Charged
'Star instructor' Hyun Woojin, Jo Jungshik, and other private education company officials, as well as former and current teachers and two major college entrance exam academies, have been brought to trial on charges of illicitly trading questions related to the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).
According to the legal community on December 31, the 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Tae-eun) indicted a total of 46 individuals, including Mr. Hyun, Mr. Jo, private education company officials, and former and current teachers, without detention on charges including violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
According to prosecutors, Mr. Hyun and Mr. Jo are accused of receiving questions from teachers who either authored EBS textbooks or served as members of the CSAT mock exam question-setting committee. Mr. Hyun allegedly gave a total of more than 400 million won to three incumbent teachers between 2020 and 2023 in exchange for creating questions, while Mr. Jo is reported to have paid 80 million won to incumbent teachers and others during the same period to obtain questions. Mr. Jo also faces charges of breach of trust for requesting that questions be provided in advance before the publication of EBS textbooks.
Prosecutors also brought to trial the parent company of the major entrance exam academy Sidae Injae, Haiconcy, and Gangnam Daesung Research Institute, an affiliate of Gangnam Daesung Academy, on charges of trading questions with teachers from 2020 to 2023. Prosecutors believe that Sidae Injae paid over 700 million won and Daesung Academy paid 1.1 billion won to contracted teachers in exchange for receiving CSAT mock exam and school test questions.
Previously, in April, the National Office of Investigation referred a total of 100 individuals to the prosecution, including 72 incumbent teachers, three private education companies, and 11 instructors, for their involvement in the so-called 'private education cartel.'
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