Prosecutors have demanded a one-year prison sentence for star math instructor Hyun Woo-jin, 39, who is on trial on charges of paying active-duty teachers in exchange for questions related to the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).

The first-instance sentencing is scheduled for August 26.

During the sentencing hearing presided over by Judge Lee Jae-wook of Criminal Division 10 at the Seoul Central District Court on July 24, prosecutors asked the court to sentence Hyun to one year in prison.

One-year prison terms were also demanded for two active-duty teachers who provided questions to Hyun in exchange for money, as well as for a textbook development company official, A.

The prosecution rebuked the defendants, stating, "Buying and selling questions for years and exchanging hundreds of millions of won fundamentally undermines trust in public education, making it impossible to justify. When active-duty teachers who draft school exam questions sell them to private academies, certain students gain advance access, which further deepens educational inequality."

Hyun and the other defendants pleaded not guilty, arguing that they exchanged legitimate compensation according to contracts and that the transactions do not fall under the requirements of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

They claimed that the funds exchanged were not subject to restrictions under the anti-graft law, asserting that they constituted "money and valuables provided under legitimate authority, such as the fulfillment of obligations resulting from private transactions," and were therefore lawful.

Hyun's defense attorney argued, "The entirety of the facts in this case is that the defendant needed questions to be included in a textbook, entered into a legitimate trading contract, and paid costs based on it. Hyun merely provided high-quality problems to students, which is his natural duty as a math instructor and textbook author."

In his final statement, Hyun said, "I was singled out as the ringleader of the private education cartel three years ago and ended up here. It breaks my heart to see all the hard work done by the teachers being discredited. I ask for a clear and fair ruling."

Hyun was indicted in December of last year on charges of conspiring with A to hand over a total of 346 million won to two active-duty teachers between March 2020 and May 2023 in exchange for math test questions.

He also faces charges of transferring 75 million won under the name of another teacher's spouse.
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)