Prosecutors Seek 1-Year Prison Sentence for Hyun Woojin Over 'Question Trading' Charges, Citing "Damage to Public Education Trust"

Prosecutors Seek One-Year Prison Sentence for Hyun Woojin

Prosecutors have demanded a one-year prison sentence for "star lecturer" Hyun Woojin, who was indicted on charges of receiving College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) questions from active teachers in exchange for money.

On July 24, during the closing arguments at the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 10 (Presiding Judge Lee Jaewook), prosecutors requested, "Please sentence the defendant to one year in prison." Prosecutors also sought one-year prison terms each for the two active teachers who transacted questions with Hyun and for an educational materials developer, identified as Mr. A.

Earlier, Hyun had been brought to trial on suspicion of delivering a total of 346 million won from March 2020 to May 2023 to teachers in return for receiving mathematics test questions. He also faces allegations of transferring 75 million won to an account under the spouse's name of another teacher.

During today's trial, the prosecution argued, "The act of selling and buying questions and receiving hundreds of millions of won over several years fundamentally undermines trust in public education and cannot be justified under any circumstances." The prosecution further emphasized the validity of the sentence, stating, "When active teachers who write school exams sell test items to private academies, students can access them in advance, deepening educational inequality."

In contrast, Hyun and the other defendants claimed their actions did not meet the requirements of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, insisting they simply gave and received legitimate compensation under a contract. They argued that the payments did not constitute prohibited items under the act but were "properly provided as payment for debt or other private transactions," and thus, were not illegal.

Hyun's attorney argued, "The entire factual context of this case is that the defendant entered into a proper business contract and paid fees as he needed questions to accept into his textbooks," adding, "Hyun only provided students with quality problems. This is his natural duty as a mathematics instructor and author of teaching materials."

In his closing statement, Hyun said, "Three years ago, I was labeled the number one figure in the 'private education cartel' and have ended up here. It pains me that all the hard work of the teachers seems to have been denied," adding, "I ask the court for a clear ruling."

The first-instance verdict for Hyun is scheduled to be delivered on August 26.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.