Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hyeongil Reported for Dereliction of Duty over 'AI Cheating' on Tax Accountant Exam

Former Seoul Metropolitan Council member Lee Jongbae files complaint with Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
"The Ministry of Finance and Economy, the commissioning agency, shirked its supervisory responsibilities"

Former and current deputy prime ministers have been reported to investigative authorities in connection with an AI-cheating scandal involving the top scorer on the 63rd Certified Tax Accountant Examination.

Han Wonseok, who placed first in the 63rd Certified Tax Accountant Examination, confessed to cheating with AI. Screenshot from attorney Lee Donho's YouTube channel.

Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul Metropolitan Council member from the People Power Party, said on November 15 that he had filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency that morning against Lee Hyeong-il, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy, and former Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol on suspicion of dereliction of duty.

Lee said, "If cheating using AI smart glasses and other devices had been repeatedly detected in examinations administered by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, the entrusted testing agency, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, as the commissioning agency, should have responded to these risks by reviewing its supervisory system and taking steps to improve it." He continued, "If the minister failed to fulfill his supervisory responsibilities and issue necessary instructions or take action despite being able to foresee AI-assisted cheating, that constitutes dereliction of duty," adding, "An investigation is needed into what reports, consultations, instructions and corrective measures, if any, took place between the ministry and the Human Resources Development Service of Korea."

The Certified Tax Accountant Examination, a national qualification exam, is administered by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea under government commission. This year's first- and second-round exams, in which cheating was detected, were held in April and July, respectively. Koo left office in September after serving for 14 months, and Lee took office on September 22.

Meanwhile, police received the top scorer's written confession on November 15 and launched an investigation. The Ministry of Finance and Economy is considering convening the Tax Accountant Qualification Deliberation Committee under the National Tax Service to suspend the validity of the candidate's certificate. A ministry official said, "We are at the stage of reviewing the suspension of its validity in accordance with established procedures."

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