CSAT D-4... Cheong Wa Dae to Hold Meeting on AI Exam Cheating Measures

Afternoon meeting to be chaired by Policy Chief Ha Joonkyung
Tax accountant exam top scorer also admits to cheating on CPA exam
Year-end review of responses to scams and real estate crimes

Four days before the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the Blue House decided to hold a meeting on measures to prevent cheating using artificial intelligence (AI) on Nov. 15. The move comes as the top scorer in this year's tax accountant exam admitted to cheating with generative AI on the first and second stages of the tax accountant exam and the first stage of the certified public accountant exam, and turned himself in to police. The government is moving quickly to develop measures in response.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a senior secretaries' meeting at the Blue House on Nov. 12, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Lim Kwang-hyun, Chief of Staff to the President, told a press briefing at Chunchugwan that the Blue House was taking the matter "very seriously" and was preparing to hold a meeting on countermeasures that afternoon, chaired by Policy Chief Ha Joon-kyung. Lim said the Blue House had been working on related measures ahead of the CSAT on Nov. 19.

At a senior secretaries' meeting on Nov. 5, President Lee Jae Myung instructed the government to draw up comprehensive measures to prevent cheating with smart devices in exams administered by national and public institutions and schools at all levels. For this year's CSAT, the government will assign personnel at each exam site specifically to check for smart glasses. Anyone caught using smart glasses or other smart devices during the exam will have their test invalidated and be barred from taking the exam the following year.

Lim also announced the "Government That Protects My Life, Public Safety Plus Project." "The government's efforts must be proven through changes and results that the public can feel," he said, adding, "From today through the end of the year, we will review how all government ministries are responding to issues of public safety and the results they have achieved, and address any shortcomings." The measures follow President Lee's instruction at a Cabinet meeting on Nov. 10 to focus the government's capabilities on relationship-related crimes, crimes that harm people's livelihoods, and illegal real estate activities.

On relationship-related crimes and crimes with atypical motives, Lim said, "We will identify warning signs early, prevent harm before it occurs, and do everything possible to protect victims." He said the government would "track down crimes that cause financial harm to the public, including scams and illegal private lending, even overseas, eliminate their sources, and cut off their proceeds." He also pledged a strict crackdown on real estate crimes and corruption involving collusion with local authorities. On everyday illegal activities such as ticket scalping, he said, "We will pursue them to the very end and hold those responsible accountable, even if it takes two or three attempts."

The government will strengthen cooperation among ministries, centering on existing task forces (TFs) dealing with voice phishing, transnational crimes, and illegal private lending. Lim said there were no plans to set up a separate TF. He added that the government would report to the public on plans to establish a Safe Patrol Unit and introduce life imprisonment without parole, discussed at a meeting chaired by the President on Oct. 23, once deliberations are complete.

Meanwhile, regarding the cheating on the tax accountant exam, Ahn Tae-hoon, a full-time deputy spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, called on police to conduct a thorough investigation and urged the relevant agencies to review weaknesses in the exam supervision system. Choi Bo-yoon, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said the current supervision system needed a fundamental review to determine whether it could prevent cheating involving the misuse of advanced devices.

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