Famous entrance exam instructor 'Sapsaru' Woo Hyung-cheol, marks the first anniversary of his death
On the 13th, it marked the first anniversary of the death of the famous entrance exam instructor known as 'Sapsaru,' Woo Hyung-cheol.
He passed away at the age of 59 on the morning of May 13 last year, and the cause of death has not been disclosed at the request of his family.
Woo graduated from the engineering department of Seoul National University and gained notoriety in the late 2000s as an internet instructor, teaching mathematics to many students.
In 2017, Woo exposed that he hired individuals to post negative comments about competing academies or instructors and manipulated search rankings for marketing while at ETOOS Education.
This revelation caused a significant stir in the education sector, and he, along with several instructors opposed to comment manipulation practices, formed the 'Clean Online Lecture Council.' The council made efforts to enhance the transparency of the online education environment.
In 2020, it was reported that Woo fell unconscious due to a brain hemorrhage.
His students prayed, "We hope he can say And instead of End," wishing for his recovery. Unfortunately, he did not regain his health by the end of that year and ultimately passed away.
Following Woo's death, the Supreme Court sentenced Kim Hyung-jung, the representative of ETOOS, to one year and six months in prison with a two-year probation for charges including obstruction of business and violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. This was a ruling related to the comment manipulation incident that Woo exposed.
Upon news of Woo's death, numerous condolence messages flooded the cyber condolence board at Yonsei University funeral hall and his Instagram account.
Netizens left messages such as "Thanks to the teacher, I was able to not give up on mathematics," and "I will forever remember his teaching appearance," mourning his passing.
Image source: Connects Sky Edu, online community, YouTube 'Sapsaru'
