AI-assisted cheating reported at South Korea's SKY universities in October 2025
Multiple cheating incidents allegedly involving AI tools were reported during October 2025 midterm exams at Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University. About 190 students at Yonsei were caught using unauthorized methods on an exam, roughly 500 students at Korea University exchanged answers via group chat, and some students at Seoul National used AI tools despite explicit warnings.
What happened
About 190 students at Yonsei University were caught cheating on a midterm exam for a course on natural language processing and ChatGPT using unauthorized methods. The course had about 600 students enrolled, was conducted entirely online, and the exam was administered remotely through a designated website with multiple-choice questions. A poll of 353 online community respondents showed roughly 190 admitted to using unauthorized methods while 163 said they completed the exam on their own.
At Seoul National University, some students used AI tools to solve problems during a midterm exam for a statistics course, despite the school's explicit warning not to use AI during the test. The exam was conducted in person using computers in a classroom.
At Korea University, about 500 students were caught exchanging answers in a group chat online during a midterm exam for a massive open online class with over 1,400 students. The test was conducted entirely online without proctoring tools such as camera monitoring or remote exam security software.
Reported impact
Students and campus observers expressed frustration over the large-scale cheating incidents, saying those who broke the rules should be held accountable. However, observers noted that given the anonymous nature of over 10 open chat rooms related to Korea University's course, it will be nearly impossible to identify every student who took part.
Index analysis
The incidents highlight vulnerabilities in remote and online exam administration across universities. At Korea University, the course lacked proctoring tools, and at Seoul National University, students had access to AI tools despite warnings and in-person supervision.
Yonsei University had AI use guidelines in place since last year and updated them in September, but the university acknowledged that the guidelines function more as recommended practices than enforceable rules. The large-scale nature of online courses with thousands of students, which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, poses challenges for ensuring academic integrity.
Governance controls
Korea University voided the midterm exam and plans to increase the final exam from 35 to about 100 questions with strict time limits, randomize question order in real time, and activate 'Trust Lock' software to block screen sharing and recording. The university is conducting random live monitoring and investigating how many students were involved, though it has not yet decided whether to adopt these measures campus-wide.
Yonsei University's professor vowed to take strict action, offering students who come forward voluntarily a zero on the midterm but no further penalties, while those who do not could face suspension in line with university regulations. Seoul National University is reportedly considering nullifying the midterm results and holding a retest.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.