South Korea has planned to file criminal complaints against students caught using smart glasses to cheat in examinations and extend the penalties for such offences.
An education ministry official, Lee Joon-hyuk, told AFP on Friday that students caught cheating with the devices would face criminal charges under the proposed measures.
The government also plans to increase the period during which offenders are barred from retaking university entrance examinations from one year to three years.
However, Lee said the new rules were unlikely to take effect before next month’s examinations because of the limited time available to amend the law.
“With only about 20 days left until the exam, it would be realistically difficult to amend the law before then. However, we plan to push for the changes to take effect from next year’s exam,” he said.
The move follows cases involving three students who were caught wearing or possessing smart glasses during essay examinations organised by universities in Seoul.
South Korea’s Education Ministry announced additional measures on Thursday to prevent the use of the devices during examinations. The measures include assigning designated staff members at examination centres to identify suspicious eyewear.
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Smart glasses allow users to take photographs and record videos, as well as interact with artificial intelligence assistants. Their growing popularity worldwide has raised concerns about privacy, unauthorised recording and their use in academic misconduct.
The issue is also emerging in other countries. In Taiwan, a candidate at the prestigious National Taiwan University in Taipei was reportedly disqualified from an entrance examination this summer for cheating with AI-powered smart glasses.
South Korea’s university entrance examination, known as the Suneung, is considered a major determinant of admission into top universities and future economic opportunities.
The examination is so significant that authorities impose special measures nationwide on the day it is held.
Flights are suspended for 35 minutes during the English listening test, except in emergencies, while banks and public offices delay the start of work by an hour to ease traffic congestion.
The country’s highly competitive education system has also been linked to concerns about pressure on young people, with teenage depression and suicide rates among the highest in the world.
AFP News
