AI Glasses Raise 'Alarm' Ahead of Bar Exam... Justice Ministry to Issue Guidelines in Mid-November

Smart Glasses Guidelines to Be Announced in Mid-November
Those Caught Will Face Exam Suspension and Device Confiscation

The Ministry of Justice will draw up guidelines on AI glasses ahead of the bar exam scheduled for January 2027. The move follows a series of cases in which people were caught cheating with AI glasses during university entrance essay exams and national qualification exams.

According to legal circles on November 3, the Ministry of Justice plans to announce guidelines on smart glasses for test-takers and proctors in mid-November, ahead of the 16th bar exam, which will be held in January 2027.

The guidelines are reportedly being prepared by strengthening the rules on electronic devices applied during the Legal Ethics Exam in August 2026. The exam, administered by the Ministry of Justice, qualifies candidates to sit for the bar exam.

The guidelines for proctors at the time included announcing before the exam, both over the public-address system and verbally, that electronic devices such as smart glasses must be submitted; conducting rounds to inspect test-takers' seats; monitoring for electronic device use from the front and back of the exam room; and checking whether test-takers carried electronic devices when using the restroom during the exam.

A smart glasses display at an electronics store in Seoul on the 14th. Yonhap News Agency.

The Ministry of Justice also plans to strengthen training on AI glasses, including their models and how they are used, to heighten proctors' awareness.

If someone is caught using AI glasses on exam day, the ministry plans to determine the circumstances, confiscate the device, and suspend the exam, among other measures. It is also considering stronger responses, such as suspending the test-taker's eligibility or filing a criminal complaint, if necessary.

A Ministry of Justice official said, "We will comprehensively review the budget, technological capabilities, and exam-site conditions, and consider whether to introduce devices such as radio-frequency detectors that can detect glasses."

Last month, during early-admission essay exams at Yonsei University and the University of Seoul, test-takers were caught wearing ordinary glasses during pre-exam checks and switching to smart glasses after the exams began. There have also been five cases of cheating with smart glasses in national qualification exams so far this year.

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