Answers Relayed From Other Organizations

Answers Relayed From Other Organizations. November. 28, 2004 23:07. by Yang-Hwan Jung needjung@donga.com ray@donga.com.

It has been found that more students were involved in Gwangju’s exam cheating scheme using mobile phones. As many as 183 students in four organizations were involved in the exam scandal, according to police investigation.

In addition, a college student was reported to have taken the exam and sent answers of all test subjects on request of his friend who was to take the exam again after failing to get a college admission last year. It is the first time ever that a college student was found to be served as “sunsu,” or top-grade students who were supposed to send answers at the exam.

▽Police Investigation

Police authorities of South Jeolla province announced on the 28th that they found through analysis of text message records and statements from involved students that a total of 183 students in four organizations including six female high school students have been involved in the scandal.

The biggest organization of the four is the one that has 141 students at J high school as members. The others are a 25-member group, many of the members attending K high school, another group mainly consisting of students of another K high school and a eight-member group, six of the them female students.

A total of 185 students are subject to investigation, when two substitute test takers, one of them arrested K (24, female) are included. According to police, an 18-year-old student of K high school identified as his family name Kim collected 2.1 million won, 100,000 to 300,000 won per person, from 10 high school students of five high schools in Gwangju area. He raised the money, offering the students to send correct answers at exam and spent 1.7 million won of the total amount.

But as Kim failed to secure “sunsu,” he personally requested one of his classmates who was already a member of the J high school group to get answers and sent them through “helpers.”

Police filed an arrest warrant for two students at K high school including Kim on charges of objection of Justice. Police also said that another seven students at K high school unsuccessfully planned a cheating scam targeted mainly at other students attending the same school. They reportedly failed to implement the plan as they failed to secure top-grade students.

It was confirmed by the police that one of the “helpers” at J high school group sent answers to his girlfriend through cell phones and the answers were also submitted to members of the fourth group including one helper and five exam takers. Accordingly, police booked the six female students without detention.

Police are locating A (20, college student), as an involved student in the scandal said that he served “sunsu” of J high school group on request of his friend taking the exam second time.

▽Remaining Suspicions and Concerns of Police

It is continuously pointed out that the police investigation has fallen short of expectation, even though they are disclosing additional facts on the scandal, like more numbers of involved students and groups.

Local high school students who had an interview with this newspaper argued that students at other schools like I high school and S high school formed small groups with some 10 members and cheated at the exam.

However, an officer said that it is hard to expand the investigation without reliable information because of lack of real evidence. What police worry, in particular, is the possibility that unexpected incidents could happen if they press sensitive high school students too much.