[Anchor]
Star math instructor Hyun Woo-jin, who was indicted on charges of paying active-duty school teachers to obtain exam questions for his study materials, has been found not guilty in the first trial. The court ruled that the exchange of money constitutes a private transaction, stating that moral responsibility and legal punishment must be distinguished.
Reporter Jang Hun-gyeong has the details.
[Reporter]
Hyun Woo-jin, widely known as a top-tier math instructor, paid approximately 160 million won and 170 million won respectively to two active-duty teachers between 2020 and 2023 to receive exam questions for use in his textbooks.
He also transferred 75 million won to the bank account of another teacher's spouse.
The prosecution referred Hyun to trial, deeming that he violated the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, which prohibits providing public officials with money or valuables exceeding 3 million won per year.
[Hyun Woo-jin / Math Instructor (in April): (Do you still maintain your stance that the question transactions were legitimate?) ......]
However, the Seoul Central District Court acquitted Hyun and the teachers in the first trial.
The Graft Act stipulates that money or valuables provided to fulfill financial obligations resulting from private transactions are not subject to the prohibition on acceptance. The court stated that since the money Hyun gave to the teachers constituted payments for buying and selling exam questions—namely, "legitimate money and valuables resulting from private transactions"—Hyun cannot be deemed to have violated the Graft Act.
The court further explained that "law is the minimum standard of morality" and that "it is neither possible nor desirable to criminally punish all actions by public officials simply because they may have inappropriate aspects."
Regardless of whether active-duty teachers can be held morally accountable for engaging in question transactions for large sums of money, they cannot be punished under the Graft Act, the court added.
[Eunji / Attorney for the Teacher: Although we cannot judge moral aspects, many teachers have likely reflected upon themselves through this incident.]
The first trial for star English instructor Cho Jung-shik, who was also indicted on similar charges of question transactions like Hyun, is scheduled for October 16.
(Camera and Lighting: Yang Hyun-chul | Video Editing: Choi Hye-young)
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