Star lecturer referred to prosecution for purchasing mock exam questions from current teachers

It has been belatedly reported that famous star lecturer Cho Jung-sik (42) has been referred to the prosecution for allegedly purchasing mock exam questions for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) from current teachers for money.

According to a report by investigative media outlet 'Sherlock' on the 10th, Cho was referred to the prosecution on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and obstructing business on the 17th of last month.

In November 2020, Cho contacted a current teacher, referred to as A, who has experience in writing EBS CSAT-related textbooks and serving as a question committee member for the national comprehensive academic proficiency assessment, and requested the creation of CSAT mock exam questions for high school seniors at the end of each month. He offered a significant amount of 150,000 to 200,000 won per question, and in the first transaction, A sold 10 questions and it was revealed that Cho directly transferred 2 million won to A's account.

As a result of the investigation, it was found that A had unlawfully leaked the contents of the "answer explanations" for two EBS CSAT-related textbooks that had not yet been published in 2022 to Cho.

The total amount paid by Cho to A was confirmed to be approximately 58 million won.

Adding to the shocking revelations, it was found that A was not the only teacher who traded questions with Cho. According to the investigation, a total of 21 current teachers had received money from Cho to create and sell questions, all of whom were recognized educators with qualifications such as being authors of EBS CSAT-related textbooks.

The Board of Audit and Inspection announced that Cho admitted to these "question trades."

Reference photo for understanding of the article / News1

During the investigation by the Board of Audit and Inspection, Cho stated, "The experience of writing EBS textbooks can serve as a basis for the ability to create high-quality questions close to the CSAT," and "I thought teachers would supply quality questions to companies with high unit prices per question, so I paid higher than market rates."

However, Cho’s side rebutted that they did not acknowledge the "question trading" as stated in the Board's report. Regarding the suspicion of leaking 'answer explanations' for the CSAT and mock evaluations, they explained, "We obtained the rationale for deriving the correct answers after filming explanatory videos," insisting that "the order of events is different."

Known as a top instructor at Mega Study, Cho gained public recognition through the Channel A series 'Please Help My Grades, Teachers'.

Image source: Mega Study instructor Cho Jung-sik / instagram 'thechojungsik', reference photo for understanding of the article / News1, tvn 'You Quiz on the Block'