Amid allegations that so-called "star lecturers" in the private education market traded exam questions with active school teachers, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is pushing to amend the law to establish a legal basis for punishment.
Rep. Kim Moon-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, on Wednesday introduced an amendment to the "Act on the Establishment, Operation, and Extracurricular Tutoring of Private Institutes" that would punish private institute personnel caught trading exam questions with test creators.
The amendment stipulates penalties for private institute founders, operators, and instructors who obtain profits through illicit trading of exam questions with test creators. If illicit gains exceed 10 million won, offenders would face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to five times the profits earned.
Recently, some private education instructors were caught purchasing College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) mock exam questions for large sums, raising concerns over a so-called "private education cartel." Claims have also emerged that active school teachers have been routinely selling exam questions to private education companies.
"It is abnormal that students who studied hard to prepare for exams are disadvantaged while students who took exams through illicit means benefit," Rep. Kim said. "I hope this legislation will root out the practice of illicit exam question trading."
