Yonsei University is considering filing a criminal complaint against an applicant who wore artificial intelligence-enabled smart glasses while taking an essay exam for college admissions.
The university said the previous day that it is reviewing whether to apply a charge of obstruction of business by deception against the applicant, according to university sources on the 23rd.
The applicant, identified only as A, was caught by a proctor after sitting for the mathematics essay exam for the natural sciences and integrated track for the 2027 academic year while wearing smart glasses. The test was held at around 10:30 a.m. on the 10th at Yonsei University's Sinchon campus in Seoul's Seodaemun district.
The proctor noticed during the exam that the glasses A was wearing looked different from ordinary eyewear and reported it to the exam headquarters. The university confiscated the glasses on the spot, and A admitted after the exam to having worn smart glasses.
Yonsei decided to void A's exam and record a failing result. The university also plans to strip A of eligibility to apply for early admissions for the 2028 academic year. "We will respond strictly under a zero-tolerance principle to any act that undermines the fairness and credibility of the admissions process," the university said.
Smart glasses are devices fitted with a small camera that can link captured information to AI. Some products can also provide solutions or answers to the questions they photograph.
The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation has designated smart glasses as a banned item in its guidelines for test-takers for the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test. Anyone caught wearing smart glasses during the test will be treated as having cheated, regardless of whether the device was actually used, voiding the exam and suspending eligibility to sit for the following year's test.
