A test-taker who stole an official English proficiency test paper, used artificial intelligence (AI) to find the answers, and took the exam with the answers written on their palm has been sentenced to prison with a suspended execution.

The Busan District Court Western Division announced today (September 23) that it has sentenced a test-taker, identified as A, to six months in prison, suspended for one year, and ordered 80 hours of community service on charges of theft and obstruction of business.

A, who was preparing for the certified tax accountant exam, was accused of committing malpractice twice in March and April after failing to achieve the target score of 65 on the official English proficiency test.

According to the investigation, A entered a classroom while the head of test operations was away checking on the placement of supervisors, opened an envelope containing spare test papers, and took the test paper.

During the first crime, A went to a nearby gas station, photographed the test paper with a smartphone, and inputted it into Google's AI service, Gemini. A then used a ballpoint pen to write the answers provided by the AI on their right palm and took the exam at 3 p.m. on the same day.

About two weeks later, A stole a spare test paper at the same testing center, went to a nearby convenience store, and took the exam after noting down the answers using the same method.

The court stated, "The crimes were repeated twice and the methods were bold," adding, "The nature of the offense is very poor in that it damages trust in the fairness of examinations, which is central to equal opportunity, and can cause a sense of helplessness to bona fide competitors."

It was found that A deposited 100,000 won each in criminal deposits for the victims whose test papers were stolen, but the victims refused to collect them, so it was not reflected favorably in the sentencing.