“Captured the Questions and Got 99 With AI”… More Than 600 Konkuk University Students to Retake Exam After Student’s Post

1. Overview

On October 19, 2026, signs of cheating with generative artificial intelligence (AI) emerged during an online midterm exam for a general education course at Konkuk University. On the 23rd, the university said the professor in charge had invalidated the exam, and that more than 600 students would take both the midterm retest and the final exam in person.

The incident began with a post by a student on an online university community. The student wrote, in effect, that AI had helped them score 99 on the exam, and reportedly said they had photographed the questions, entered them into AI, and answered using the spoken responses. The professor decided to hold the exam again, judging that fairness and the ability to distinguish between students had not been adequately ensured. However, reports do not confirm that anyone suspected of cheating—including the post’s author—has been identified.

2. Community Post and Exam Invalidation

The course in question was reportedly an online general education course related to Korean, with more than 600 students enrolled. According to ETNews, Professor A conducted the exam on the 19th using a video-conferencing program, combining live proctoring with recording. No Cut News reported that, despite these measures, the use of AI to cheat was reportedly not detected. The suspicions of cheating surfaced only after the exam had ended.

The incident was prompted by a post on an online university community. Hankyoreh and ETNews reported that the author wrote that they had photographed the exam questions, attached them to an AI tool, and answered using the responses delivered in audio. Konkuk University reportedly said that, after comparing the post with the exam results and reviewing reports from some students, it had found signs of generative AI use. The Dong-A Ilbo reported that the professor said “suspicions and circumstantial evidence had been raised” during this process.

On that basis, the professor decided to invalidate the midterm exam. In a notice sent to students, the professor stated, “I have determined that the fairness of the exam and its ability to distinguish between students were not adequately ensured due to cheating, including the use of AI by some students,” and announced plans for a retest.

3. In-Person Retest on December 14

The retest will take place on December 14, the scheduled date of the final exam. Konkuk University decided to hold both the midterm retest and the final exam in person on the same day. ETNews reported that the two exams were scheduled for the same day because the course has more than 600 students.

A Konkuk University representative said that, after reviewing the matter, the professor in charge had “determined that all students should be given a fairer and more reliable opportunity to be assessed.” ETNews reported that the university described the decision not as a penalty against any particular student, but as a measure to ensure assessment opportunities for the entire class. The university also warned, “If specific acts of cheating are uncovered or those responsible are identified at a later date, we will respond strictly in accordance with university rules and regulations.”

4. Further AI Cheating Cases on Campuses and at Exam Venues

The Dong-A Ilbo placed this incident in the context of a series of AI cheating controversies at universities. Last year, signs that some students had used AI to solve questions were found during the midterm exam for Seoul National University’s general education course “Statistics Lab,” and a test-taker wearing “AI glasses” was caught during Yonsei University’s university entrance essay exam. The report also noted that the problem is not limited to universities. Police recently referred a man in his 20s without detention on suspicion of obstruction of business and violating the National Technical Qualifications Act after he cheated using AI glasses during an Information Processing Engineer exam administered by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea.

ETNews noted that the case highlights the challenge facing universities of how to control generative AI use and ensure fair assessment in large-scale online exams. It also reported that, when suspicions of AI-assisted cheating arise, the process of identifying individual offenders—and how to safeguard assessment opportunities for the entire class—are emerging as key issues.

5. Authenticity Debate

One potentially controversial aspect is the decision to make all more than 600 students retake the exam based on an unverified community post and circumstantial evidence. Reports confirm only that the post was made and that the university reached its decision; the actual scale of the cheating and the identities of those involved have not been officially confirmed.

5.1. The Case That a Retest for Everyone Was Necessary

No Cut News reported that AI-assisted cheating was reportedly not detected despite live proctoring and recording. The university said it had found signs of generative AI use after considering exam results and reports from students, among other factors, and the professor stated that all students should be given a fair and reliable opportunity to be assessed.

The suspicions did not arise from a mere rumor, but from a post that described a specific method. According to Hankyoreh and ETNews, the author wrote that they had photographed the exam questions, entered them into AI, and answered using the spoken responses.

5.2. The Case That the Measure Was Excessive or Insufficiently Supported

From this perspective, one could ask whether a single post and signs of cheating by “some students” are sufficient grounds to invalidate the exam for all more than 600 students. ETNews also noted that the post’s claims should be distinguished from whether any individual student’s cheating has been officially confirmed. In fact, reports do not establish whether the author really used AI, whether that was how they earned a score of 99, or whether other students used the same method.

As a result of the decision, all students in the course must take an in-person midterm retest and the final exam on the same day. No one responsible for cheating had been reported as identified by the time of publication, and reports do not reveal whether anyone attempted to review proctoring or recording footage to determine who was involved.

6. Trivia

• The professor in charge was referred to in different reports as “Professor A” (Yonhap News, No Cut News, and ETNews), “Professor ㄱ” (Hankyoreh), and “a professor” (the Dong-A Ilbo); the professor’s real name has not been disclosed.
• A YouTube video posted by Yonhap News TV had the English title “600 Konkuk University Students to Retake Exam Due to 'AI ...”. The video said that signs of AI-assisted cheating had emerged during an online midterm exam for a general education course at Konkuk University, prompting more than 600 students to take an in-person retest.
• The Dong-A Ilbo’s headline described the student’s post as a “boastful post.” However, the article did not establish the author’s intent.