A group of over 10 individuals has been apprehended by police on charges of taking money to either sit for the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) on behalf of others or providing test-takers with answers using high-tech equipment such as miniature earphones.

Most of the suspects are Chinese nationals, and investigators found that the group was based in China and promoted their illicit services through Chinese social media platforms.

The International Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced today (July 21) that a broker identified as A (28), a Chinese national belonging to the TOPIK cheating ring, was sentenced to three years in prison last June after being referred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on charges of obstruction of official business by deception.

Police have booked two other members of the ring, including a courier who delivered the equipment, without detention, and are continuing to investigate the remaining members.

Additionally, 11 individuals of Chinese and Korean nationality who acted as proxy test-takers for 800,000 won per case have also been booked.

Police have also booked 101 Chinese nationals who paid the ring to arrange for proxy or fraudulent testing, charging them with obstruction of official business by deception.

Investigations revealed that these clients sought to cheat to obtain TOPIK scores required for university or graduate school admission, scholarships, visa renewals, and employment at Korean companies.

From October 2021 to November of last year, the ring led by A allegedly posted advertisements on Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu, claiming they could "guarantee high TOPIK scores by taking the test for you or using specialized equipment." They then received payments from clients to carry out these fraudulent acts.

The group reportedly charged approximately 2 million won for cheating using devices like receivers, and about 8 million won for proxy testing.

Police stated that the total criminal proceeds generated by the organization amount to approximately 700 million won.

When a client requested cheating using high-tech equipment, the ring would send a Chinese courier to South Korea to deliver miniature earphones and receivers to the client, according to the investigation.

Specifically, clients would enter the test site with a secondary mobile phone, separate from the one they were required to submit, with a group conference app installed. An accomplice would then dictate the answers through the app, which the client would hear via the miniature earphone.

Police are still investigating the identity of the accomplice who provided the answers and how they obtained the correct answers in real-time.


For clients requesting proxy testing, the group would recruit a substitute who resembled the client and produce a forged identification card containing the substitute's photo and the client's personal information.

The ring's leader, a Chinese national identified as B, was responsible for the high-tech aspects of the operation, including the production of forged IDs, the recruitment of proxy test-takers, and the manufacturing and delivery of the electronic equipment.

B has not yet been apprehended, and police are currently tracking the suspect through international cooperation.

The cheating scheme, which had been ongoing for over four years, was uncovered when a proctor discovered a receiver attached to a client's neck.

A police official emphasized, "The suspect had attached a receiver to the back of their neck to use a micro-earphone, which was discovered by the proctor, leading to the exposure of the crime," adding, "We will strengthen our investigative expertise and expand intensive enforcement activities to respond to increasingly sophisticated crimes."

(Photo: Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Yonhap News)