Police bust China-based ring behind TOPIK cheating
A TOPIK test-taker wearing a cheating device / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
Police said Tuesday they have apprehended about 10 people suspected of either taking the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) on behalf of others for money or using advanced equipment, such as tiny earpieces, to relay answers to test-takers.
Most of them are Chinese nationals based in China who are believed to have promoted cheating on TOPIK through Chinese social media, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA).
TOPIK is a language proficiency test for foreigners whose native language is not Korean.
A 28-year-old Chinese national arrested for acting as a broker for the TOPIK cheating ring was sentenced to three years in prison last month after being referred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, the SMPA said.
The police have also booked two other members of the ring, including an equipment courier, without detention and are continuing to investigate the remaining members, the agency added.
In addition, 11 Chinese and Korean nationals have been booked on charges of serving as proxy test-takers after allegedly receiving 800,000 won ($542) per exam from the broker and other accomplices.
A total of 101 Chinese nationals have also been booked for paying the cheating ring to arrange proxy test-takers and facilitate fraudulent test-taking.
They allegedly paid to illegally obtain TOPIK scores required for admission to universities or graduate schools, scholarships, visa renewals and employment at Korean companies.
The ring allegedly received 2 million won for providing answers through transmitters and receivers and 8 million won for proxy test-taking, the SMPA said, adding it earned about 700 million won in criminal proceeds.