More TOEIC Cheating Exposed…This Time Using Wireless Image Transmitters

Hidden inside clothing and transmitting in real time…Police fear widespread use on other tests.

(Busan — Yonhap News) Chang-su Park, reporter = Cheating on the TOEIC exam has again surfaced, this time using an image transmitting device that shows how such methods have evolved.

The Busan International Crime Investigations Unit arrested a 33-year-old with the last name of Jeong on January 7th under suspicion of illegal obstruction for using an image transmittet during the TOEIC exam. Jeong’s 31 year-old partner, Lee, was booked without detention.

A 25-year-old test taker, surnamed Kim, as well as 6 others, were indicted without being detained for paying the two men at the center of the cheating ring.

Jeong, ringmaster of the cheating scheme, arranged online for test applicants to pay 3 million KRW ($2,800) per head.

Jeong, who studied electronics in high school, built a small device using parts found at an electronics store. The device was capable of transmitting in real-time during the test.

TOEIC high-scorer Lee hid the device inside the padding of his jacket, went to the testing hall, and proceeded to answer the test questions while sending out images of his answers.

Outside the testing hall, Jeong received Lee’s answers by wireless transmitter and cheated by passing the answers to the other participants in the scam.

All tests submitted by the participants, which were from the 262nd TOEIC test taken on December 29th of last year, have been nullified and disposed of. New job seekers and those changing jobs were among those involved in the cheating.

In the past, forms of cheating for the TOEIC have involved smart phones and related apps, but this is the first instance of wireless transmitters/receivers being used.

Jeong confessed: “I made small receivers and transmitters which didn’t require the use of smartphones and could draw from the answers on a skilled test taker’s answer sheet. I made this device.”

Jung-Hyuk Jo, Chief of the International Crime Investigation Unit, said: “The revelation of this kind of device, which unlike a smartphone cannot be detected easily and can transmit test answers outside the test hall, raises concerns about further test abuses on national standardized tests.”

On October 27th of 2013, police rounded up and arrested an additional group of eight test takers who illicitly used smartphones, automatic photo-transmitting apps, and mini transmitting devices during their TOEIC test.

In that case, they concealed smartphones under fake arm casts and leaked the test answers. Their cheating involved using wireless receivers to get the test answers from a high-scoring test-taker.

Comments from Naver:

hany****

ke ke ke The fact that they even got caught is amazing.

wjdt****

These days, even with a good TOEIC score, getting a job is difficult.

max6****

If you lack the skills, don’t take the test.

giho****

Wow; awesome that he did it like that…

5614****

Study harder and live harder!

hihi****

Why is the TOEIC so important for getting employment? Is this the US? Or are there more Americans here than Koreans? We always think “English English!” here. Try learning more about our own language and history.

cang****

How was he caught? Surely, I’m not the only one curious how they found out?

kjy0****

The criminal mind is extraordinary, what genius!

hk93****

ke ke ke If he had devoted the time it took to make the device to studying, he would have passed the test. kkk

ferr****

In Korea, all tests like TOEIC need to change to speaking tests. We write tests well, but can’t speak a lick.

p985****

Next, implant the camera in your eye. ke ke ke

yys2****

In this world, if you live life by the rules, you fail.

dbsw****

I don’t know about the TOEIC, but the Sunung supervisors are fucking lax;; They don’t even check to make sure the names and test-takers match every time.

cha6****

How did they catch him? Props to the dude who caught him, even more than the guy who made it.

andy****