Four arrested in second SAT leak scandal
Published: 25 Jan. 2010, 01:17
Police investigating another scandal involving the United States-based Scholastic Aptitude Test arrested four suspects yesterday, including a lecturer at a private education institute, or hagwon, in southern Seoul.
The 36-year-old instructor, surnamed Jang, was arrested on charges of stealing mathematics and physics questions from the test, which can make or break a student looking to get into a good U.S. college.
The Suseo Police Precinct in Gangnam said the group of suspects, led by Jang, allegedly pretended to take the SAT at a high school in Gyeonggi on Saturday and then stole the questions by either cutting them out of the test with small cutters hidden in erasers or entering them into scientific calculators. Students taking the test are allowed to use scientific calculators during the exam.
Investigators allege that the group has committed the same crime four times since last October.
Officers said they will seek a warrant to detain Jang. Police booked the other three suspects without detention.
“During the test on Saturday, suspects allegedly sneaked in 10 pages of physics problems and one page of math questions,” said an officer on condition of anonymity. “It is the first time that we know of where test-takers allegedly entered problems into scientific calculators.”
Jang allegedly lured his 24-year-old assistant, surnamed Cha, at the institute to join in the plot and then brought in two more friends, police said. Investigators added that Jang allegedly paid each of the suspects 100,000 won ($86).
The suspects wanted to use the test questions as teaching material for students at the institute where they teach, police said.
Investigators are planning to examine the e-mail messages and bank account activity of each suspect, saying they might have sent obtained test papers to another person.
The arrests come in a country where many parents aggressively try to get their kids into good universities abroad, sometimes at all costs.
“We don’t care about the academic background of the lecturers as long as they teach well and help our kids earn high scores on the test,” said one mother who took part in a university admission presentation organized by a hagwon last Thursday.
“No matter what method they use, we follow the instructors who can notify our children of test questions in advance.”
Meanwhile, police are still investigating whether another lecturer, identified only as Kim, at a different private language institute obtained SAT test and answer sheets from someone who took the test in Bangkok, Thailand. Prosecutors allege that on Jan. 24 of last year, the lecturer sent two Korean students copied answer sheets via e-mail to the United States by taking advantage of the time difference. The students were studying in the U.S. at the time.
After teaching at several small private academies, Kim taught SAT reading comprehension classes at the hagwon in question starting in 2004. Later on, he became famous among students and parents as a top instructor.
When the scandal related to the alleged leakage of SAT questions in Korea hit the media last May, Kim was fingered as one of the core suspects involved.
However, he disappeared after teaching summer vacation courses at the hagwon last year.
In the winter, though, he appeared in Korea again, lecturing at a rival of the hagwon he had previously taught at.
After his alleged wrongdoing was reported in media recently, his previous and current educational institutes pointed the finger at each other for his alleged crimes.
By Song Ji-hye, Lee Min-yong [[email protected]]
The 36-year-old instructor, surnamed Jang, was arrested on charges of stealing mathematics and physics questions from the test, which can make or break a student looking to get into a good U.S. college.
The Suseo Police Precinct in Gangnam said the group of suspects, led by Jang, allegedly pretended to take the SAT at a high school in Gyeonggi on Saturday and then stole the questions by either cutting them out of the test with small cutters hidden in erasers or entering them into scientific calculators. Students taking the test are allowed to use scientific calculators during the exam.
Investigators allege that the group has committed the same crime four times since last October.
Officers said they will seek a warrant to detain Jang. Police booked the other three suspects without detention.
“During the test on Saturday, suspects allegedly sneaked in 10 pages of physics problems and one page of math questions,” said an officer on condition of anonymity. “It is the first time that we know of where test-takers allegedly entered problems into scientific calculators.”
Jang allegedly lured his 24-year-old assistant, surnamed Cha, at the institute to join in the plot and then brought in two more friends, police said. Investigators added that Jang allegedly paid each of the suspects 100,000 won ($86).
The suspects wanted to use the test questions as teaching material for students at the institute where they teach, police said.
Investigators are planning to examine the e-mail messages and bank account activity of each suspect, saying they might have sent obtained test papers to another person.
The arrests come in a country where many parents aggressively try to get their kids into good universities abroad, sometimes at all costs.
“We don’t care about the academic background of the lecturers as long as they teach well and help our kids earn high scores on the test,” said one mother who took part in a university admission presentation organized by a hagwon last Thursday.
“No matter what method they use, we follow the instructors who can notify our children of test questions in advance.”
Meanwhile, police are still investigating whether another lecturer, identified only as Kim, at a different private language institute obtained SAT test and answer sheets from someone who took the test in Bangkok, Thailand. Prosecutors allege that on Jan. 24 of last year, the lecturer sent two Korean students copied answer sheets via e-mail to the United States by taking advantage of the time difference. The students were studying in the U.S. at the time.
After teaching at several small private academies, Kim taught SAT reading comprehension classes at the hagwon in question starting in 2004. Later on, he became famous among students and parents as a top instructor.
When the scandal related to the alleged leakage of SAT questions in Korea hit the media last May, Kim was fingered as one of the core suspects involved.
However, he disappeared after teaching summer vacation courses at the hagwon last year.
In the winter, though, he appeared in Korea again, lecturing at a rival of the hagwon he had previously taught at.
After his alleged wrongdoing was reported in media recently, his previous and current educational institutes pointed the finger at each other for his alleged crimes.
By Song Ji-hye, Lee Min-yong [[email protected]]
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23일 가평서 시험지 찢어 빼낸 강남 학원강사 영장, 학생 3명 입건
국내에서 치러진 SAT(미국 수학능력시험)에서 또 문제지가 유출됐다. 이 시험을 주관하는 미국 ETS 본사 직원이 문제지가 빼돌려진 사실을 직접 현장에서 발견해 경찰에 신고했다. 경찰이 태국에서 SAT 시험지를 빼돌린 학원 강사를 수사 중인 와중에도 SAT 비리가 잇따르고 있는 것이다.
서울 수서경찰서는 지난해 10월부터 지난 23일까지 SAT 시험지를 네 차례 빼돌린 혐의(특수절도 등)로 서울 강남구 R학원 강사 장모(36)씨에 대해 구속영장을 신청했다고 24일 밝혔다. 경찰은 장씨의 시험지 유출을 도운 대학생 차모(24)씨 등 3명을 같은 혐의로 불구속 입건했다.
경찰에 따르면 장씨 등은 23일 오전 경기도 가평의 한 중학교에서 치러진 SAT에서 문제지를 빼돌렸다. 네 사람이 각자 영역을 나눠 시험지를 찢거나 공학용 계산기에 입력하는 방법으로 시험 문제를 고사장 밖으로 빼낸 것이다. 이들은 지우개·연필깎이 안에 커터칼을 숨겨 고사장에 들어갔다. 경찰 관계자는 “이들이 각자 빼돌린 내용을 합치면 수학·물리학 시험 문제지 전체가 거의 완성된다”고 설명했다. 이들의 범행은 지난해부터 이들의 행각을 의심스럽게 지켜본 미국 ETS 본사에 의해 적발됐다. ETS는 본사 이사가 포함된 직원 2명을 21일 한국에 보냈다. ETS 측은 지난해 10, 11, 12월 한국에서 치러진 시험에서 문제지가 훼손된 사실을 확인했다. 이때부터 당시 시험을 치른 장씨 등을 의심해 온 것으로 전해졌다. ETS는 이번 시험에서도 시험지가 유출될 가능성이 크다고 보고 한국에 직원들을 보내 시험 장소에서 직접 부정행위를 확인한 것이다.
ETS에서 온 직원들은 고사장에서 회수된 시험지가 찢어진 사실을 확인하자마자 경찰에 신고했다. ETS는 장씨 일당 외에 SAT 문제를 유출한 것으로 의심되는 한국인들의 ‘블랙 리스트’를 갖고 조사 중인 것으로 알려졌다. 경찰 관계자는 “ETS와 공조해 수사를 확대할 계획”이라고 밝혔다.
한글 원문 기사 보기
23일 가평서 시험지 찢어 빼낸 강남 학원강사 영장, 학생 3명 입건
국내에서 치러진 SAT(미국 수학능력시험)에서 또 문제지가 유출됐다. 이 시험을 주관하는 미국 ETS 본사 직원이 문제지가 빼돌려진 사실을 직접 현장에서 발견해 경찰에 신고했다. 경찰이 태국에서 SAT 시험지를 빼돌린 학원 강사를 수사 중인 와중에도 SAT 비리가 잇따르고 있는 것이다.
서울 수서경찰서는 지난해 10월부터 지난 23일까지 SAT 시험지를 네 차례 빼돌린 혐의(특수절도 등)로 서울 강남구 R학원 강사 장모(36)씨에 대해 구속영장을 신청했다고 24일 밝혔다. 경찰은 장씨의 시험지 유출을 도운 대학생 차모(24)씨 등 3명을 같은 혐의로 불구속 입건했다.
경찰에 따르면 장씨 등은 23일 오전 경기도 가평의 한 중학교에서 치러진 SAT에서 문제지를 빼돌렸다. 네 사람이 각자 영역을 나눠 시험지를 찢거나 공학용 계산기에 입력하는 방법으로 시험 문제를 고사장 밖으로 빼낸 것이다. 이들은 지우개·연필깎이 안에 커터칼을 숨겨 고사장에 들어갔다. 경찰 관계자는 “이들이 각자 빼돌린 내용을 합치면 수학·물리학 시험 문제지 전체가 거의 완성된다”고 설명했다. 이들의 범행은 지난해부터 이들의 행각을 의심스럽게 지켜본 미국 ETS 본사에 의해 적발됐다. ETS는 본사 이사가 포함된 직원 2명을 21일 한국에 보냈다. ETS 측은 지난해 10, 11, 12월 한국에서 치러진 시험에서 문제지가 훼손된 사실을 확인했다. 이때부터 당시 시험을 치른 장씨 등을 의심해 온 것으로 전해졌다. ETS는 이번 시험에서도 시험지가 유출될 가능성이 크다고 보고 한국에 직원들을 보내 시험 장소에서 직접 부정행위를 확인한 것이다.
ETS에서 온 직원들은 고사장에서 회수된 시험지가 찢어진 사실을 확인하자마자 경찰에 신고했다. ETS는 장씨 일당 외에 SAT 문제를 유출한 것으로 의심되는 한국인들의 ‘블랙 리스트’를 갖고 조사 중인 것으로 알려졌다. 경찰 관계자는 “ETS와 공조해 수사를 확대할 계획”이라고 밝혔다.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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