31 former, incumbent teachers face probe amid gov't war on private education 'cartel'

Test takers wait to begin the College Scholastic Ability Test at a high school in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo District, Nov. 16, 2023. Joint Press Corps

A total of 31 former and incumbent teachers have faced police investigations into what President Yoon Suk Yeol described as operating like a "cartel," specifically between public educators and the private education industry, which involves the buying and selling of questions for the state-administered College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).

According to documents submitted by the National Police Agency to Rep. Kim Woong of the ruling People Power Party, Thursday, police have investigated 163 individuals involving 123 such cases from June 22 to Dec. 28 last year.

Among those, investigations into 52 individuals involving 25 cases were launched after the Ministry of Education filed complaints.

Former and incumbent teachers accounted for the highest portion of the suspects at 31, with police suspecting that they sold exam questions to cram schools or lecturers and then participated in creating CSAT and mock CSAT tests.

All CSAT test writers, by law, are obliged to keep all test-related information confidential.

Police said that their investigations have been focused on those who were paid by private education service providers on a monthly basis.

In October, police investigated major private education businesses over cases of possible collusion in this regard and conducted a search and seizure into one of them — Sidae Injae.

These investigations were initiated after Yoon severely criticized the education industry, June 15 last year, referring to cases in which major cram schools and popular lecturers pay huge amounts of money to public school teachers in return for receiving exam questions, and earning a great deal of money after selling those questions to students.

The president said this practice has increased students’ reliance on private cram schools and placed a financial burden on parents, while ruining public education.

The annual CSAT is the national college entrance exam, which is regarded as one of the most important academic events in Korea, as it largely decides the outcome of 12 years of intense study for many students who desire to enter top universities.