AI cheating also found in the certified public accountant exam hosted by South Korea's financial authorities; the Financial Supervisory Service says it will formulate countermeasures

Candidate A, who ranked first in this year's tax accountant exam in South Korea, admitted in a YouTube video on November 15 that he used a miniature camera, a mobile phone and generative AI to cheat in the tax accountant exam and in the first stage of the certified public accountant exam held in March, and has turned himself in to the police. He ranked first in both stages of the tax accountant exam held in April and July, but failed the first stage of the certified public accountant exam and did not advance to the second stage. The exam is overseen by South Korea's Financial Services Commission and supervised throughout by the Financial Supervisory Service; the cheating was not detected at the exam site, raising questions about the oversight system. The Financial Supervisory Service said electronic devices are prohibited in the exam, that starting with this year's second-stage exam it has provided proctors with training on devices such as AI glasses and physically inspected all candidates' glasses, and that it will also solicit expert opinions, work with relevant institutions to formulate measures against cheating with advanced devices, and consider revising regulations to strengthen cheating handling and proctoring procedures. This year's certified public accountant exam first stage had 12263 applicants, a competition ratio of 4.4 to 1, and a total of 1150 people passed after the second stage.