A teacher, who faces arrest on charges including unlawful entry into a school building during the exam period, leaves the Andong Branch of the Daegu District Court on July 14 after attending a pretrial detention hearing. [YONHAP]
A high school teacher and mother were arrested after breaking into a girls' school in Andong, North Gyeongsang, to steal exams — a scheme authorities believe had been running for years and ultimately led to the expulsion of the mother's daughter, who had been ranked first in her class.
Around 1:20 a.m. on July 4, a 31-year-old teacher entered the school by scanning her fingerprint at the entrance. With her was a 48-year-old woman whose daughter is a third-year student at the school. The two headed to the third-floor faculty office where final exams were stored. Although the teacher had left the school in February 2024, her fingerprint data remained active in the school's security system, allowing her to open the office door.
As they tried to steal the tests, the school's security alarm went off. They fled the scene but were arrested the next day. Authorities believe the teacher was able to enter because her fingerprint data remained in the school's security system.
The suspect currently teaches at another high school in Gyeonggi. Investigators suspect she deliberately targeted surplus printed copies of the exam, being familiar with the building.
Although she correctly entered the passcode, a system error likely triggered the alarm, according to the police. Without the malfunction, the pair might have succeeded in stealing the documents unnoticed.
Security camera footage shows the two entering and leaving the faculty office within a span of two to three minutes, according to the Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education.
Investigators suspect the mother had been receiving test papers from the teacher in exchange for money over a two-year period.
She allegedly sent 2 million won ($1,440) during each exam period, totaling around 20 million won. The two first met in 2020 when the teacher taught the woman's older child.
When her daughter entered high school in 2023, the teacher served as her homeroom teacher. She is also accused of privately tutoring the student, an act prohibited by Korean law, which the police are also investigating.
The school's Academic Performance Committee decided on Monday to expel the student and invalidate all her previous test scores. The student had consistently ranked first in her class.
The Andong Branch of the Daegu District Court ordered on Tuesday that the teacher be detained. The mother was remanded the following day. Police also plan to question the daughter on suspicion of obstructing business.
A sign at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul [YONHAP]
The incident has sparked outrage among parents.
It's shocking to think that something like this, which feels straight out of a drama, happened in our community," said Kim Su-jeong, the mother of a middle school student. "There are rumors that the mother did this to get her daughter into medical school.
The school has continued to receive a wave of complaints from parents.
Police are investigating the pair on charges including unlawful entry into a special facility and obstruction of business. They are also reviewing the number and timing of past leaks and whether financial transactions occurred.
A school facilities manager in their 30s was also arrested and detained for allegedly allowing the break-in and later shortening or deleting security footage.
The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education is examining whether there were broader issues in the school's grade management.
Once the police investigation concludes, the office plans to launch a formal audit and recommend disciplinary action for relevant staff to the school's foundation.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM JUNG-SEOK [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar