'KTX Macro' Brag Backfires… Member of National AI Strategy Committee Dismissed

1. Overview

On October 20, 2026, Professor Kim, a visiting professor at KAIST and a member of the Presidential Committee on the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, sparked controversy after posting and then deleting a social media post saying that he had created and used a macro to check and book KTX tickets. The post said, “I made a macro a few months ago (for booking KTX tickets and setting the search interval) and it worked well, but KTX blocked it a few days ago.” The original post was deleted after the controversy arose.

Even after the post was deleted, screenshots circulated through online communities and the media, and the controversy continued. Professor Kim explained that he had only checked for available seats and had not used the macro to book tickets. However, critics said that a member of a committee discussing national AI policy had used an automated program that could undermine fair ticket booking. The Presidential Committee on the National AI Strategy dismissed Professor Kim the following day, October 21.

2. Post Published and Deleted

On the 20th, Professor Kim posted on a social media thread: “I made a macro a few months ago (for booking KTX tickets and setting the search interval) and it worked well, but KTX blocked it a few days ago,” followed by, “What am I supposed to do now? Looks like my fingers will have to do all the work.” The Seoul Shinmun reported that he was also said to have uploaded a screenshot of the program he had written. According to descriptions by Cookie News and Pennmike, the program shown in the screenshot had fields for setting the departure date, preferred departure time, acceptable time range, and number of adults, and was set to search for trains on the Suseo–Daejeon route. Another screen displayed a message to the effect that Korail had detected a macro and blocked access, and that login, searches, and bookings were unavailable because the tool had been deemed unauthorized.

Korail already had a system to block macros. According to the Seoul Shinmun, Korail introduced a macro detection system in July of the previous year to prevent improper ticket hoarding. The system analyzes users’ access patterns and purchasing behavior to block abnormal access. It reportedly blocked a cumulative 17 million instances of abnormal access between its introduction and August of this year. After Professor Kim’s post became known, critics said his actions were inconsistent with Korail’s policy of blocking automated programs to ensure fair ticket booking. Professor Kim deleted the post after the controversy arose.

3. Screenshots Circulate and a Report Is Announced

The post was deleted, but screenshots spread. A user on the thread (account name: djroem) criticized him, saying, “A KAIST professor and member of the National AI Strategy Committee proudly posted a complaint after being blocked for running an illegal macro.” The user said they had already sent a screenshot to the media and were preparing a public-interest violation report for the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. The user also shared a post in which Professor Kim had uploaded a photograph of a nameplate reading “Committee Member” and “Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Professor” while attending a meeting of the National AI Strategy Committee’s Industry and Humanoid Subcommittee on the 13th.

The screenshots spread to various online communities, including Bobaedream, FM Korea, and theqoo. According to Pennmike, a post reposted on FM Korea received more than 400 comments. Critics challenged the mindset of social leaders, arguing that “if people at the professor level run macros, this will become a country where people who don’t use them are the fools.” Some also questioned the criteria for selecting committee members after claims emerged that he was a visiting professor at a KAIST-affiliated institution, rather than a full-time faculty member. On the other hand, there was also considerable opposition to the idea that he should be punished. However, Cookie News reported that, as of publication, the screenshots alone did not make it possible to verify his identity and current position, how the program actually worked, or the extent of its use; it also said that bulk purchases or resale at a markup had not been confirmed.

4. Professor Kim’s Explanation

In a phone interview with Yonhap News and other outlets, Professor Kim explained, “I made it using vibe coding, by connecting to the KTX application programming interface (API).” He added, “I have checked for seats, but I have never used it to make a reservation.” Vibe coding is a development approach in which a person describes the desired functions in natural language and uses AI to help write the code.

However, Yonhap News reported that it had not been confirmed whether the program was actually used to book tickets or whether its creation and use violated Korail’s terms of service or other relevant rules.

5. Dismissal from the Committee

The Presidential Committee on the National AI Strategy announced on the 21st that it had dismissed the member at the center of the controversy. The measure followed President Lee Jae-myung, who chairs the committee, approving the dismissal. The committee said it had made the decision in consideration of the social responsibility associated with serving as a member and the need to maintain high standards of conduct. According to Newsis, Kang Yu-jeong, a senior presidential spokesperson, announced that evening in a media notice that the dismissal had been approved.

The committee said, “Taking this incident as an opportunity, we will firmly strengthen trust and fairness across all aspects of members’ duties, including their social media activity,” and would establish measures to prevent a recurrence.

6. Authenticity Debate

The key issues are whether the claim that he “only checked for seats” is credible, and whether using a macro to check availability—even if not to book tickets—is an act deserving of criticism.

6.1. The Criticism Was Excessive

This side argues that the scale of the criticism does not match the facts that have been confirmed. As of the reports by Yonhap News and Cookie News, it had not been confirmed whether the program was actually used to book tickets or whether there had been bulk purchases or resale at a markup. According to Pennmike, under current law, reselling tickets is punishable by a fine of up to 10 million won under the Railroad Business Act, but there is no separate provision directly punishing an individual’s use of a macro when it is not intended for resale. One online commenter asked, “If someone uses a macro to snap up tickets and sell them on the black market, they harm others and should be punished. But on what grounds would you punish someone who uses their own knowledge to make a tool and buy only their own ticket?” They added, “I have no argument if the reason is that it puts a strain on the servers.”

6.2. The Explanation Is Hard to Believe

This side points to the wording of the post and the screenshots. Professor Kim himself wrote “macro (for booking KTX tickets and setting the search interval),” and after it was blocked, he wrote, “Looks like my fingers will have to do all the work.” The program shown in the screenshots also had fields for setting dates, times, and the number of passengers, while another screen displayed a message saying Korail had detected a macro and blocked access.

The issue of harm to others has also been raised. Pennmike reported criticism that macros repeatedly check for canceled tickets at speeds impossible for a person operating manually, snatching them away from other people waiting for the same tickets—particularly older passengers who are less comfortable with online booking. Police have also stated that repeatedly accessing a booking system with a macro may constitute obstruction of business under the Criminal Act. The fact that the user held a position on a committee discussing national AI strategy adds another dimension. Pennmike reported criticism that it was problematic for someone responsible for setting standards on the use of AI and automation to have used, without hesitation, an automated tool that bypasses fair access to a public service.

Neither position is supported by conclusive evidence. The program’s actual scope of use, whether it was used to attempt a booking, and whether its use violated Korail’s terms remained unverified as of the time of reporting and are still open questions.

7. Trivia

• Pennmike reported that the FM Korea comments section briefly went off track into a Korean spelling debate over the original post’s use of “몇일” (“a few days”), which is nonstandard. However, the screenshot included in a theqoo post reads “며칠 전” (“a few days ago”).
• According to Newsis, President Lee Jae-myung also approved the resignation of Yu Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, who had faced controversy over a “self-exhibition” of his personal collection that day. The dismissal was announced at the end of that announcement.
• Cookie News reported that Korail referred 35 suspected ticket scalping cases identified during the recent Chuseok holiday period for investigation and forcibly expelled eight railway members who had sold tickets. Pennmike reported that Korail’s macro detection solution blocked 42,695 instances of abnormal access during this year’s Lunar New Year ticket booking period alone.