Court Grants Probation Again in 2nd Trial for Sookmyung Girls' High School Twin Sisters Involved in 'Answer Sheet Leak' Case

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] Twin sisters who took school exams using leaked answers provided by their father, the head of the academic affairs department at Sookmyung Girls' High School, were sentenced to suspended prison terms in the appellate court, following the first trial. However, the sentence was reduced compared to the first trial.

On the 21st, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeals Division 5-9 (Presiding Judges Lee Gwan-hyung, Choi Byeong-ryul, Won Jeong-suk) overturned the first trial's sentence of 1 year and 6 months imprisonment with a 3-year suspension for the twin daughters of former Sookmyung Girls' High School academic affairs head Hyun, and instead sentenced them to 1 year imprisonment with a 3-year suspension.

The court pointed out, "The defendants not only caused direct harm to students of the same grade who tried to improve their grades through legitimate means but also seriously undermined the trust in public education and yet claim they received their grades fairly without remorse."

However, considering that their father Hyun is serving a prison sentence after being sentenced to actual imprisonment and that the sisters were expelled from school, the court reduced the sentence compared to the first trial.

The sisters were indicted on charges of obstructing school grading operations by taking exams using answers their father secretly obtained five times, from the first semester final exam of their first year in 2017 to the first semester final exam of the following year.

In the appellate trial, the prosecution demanded a 2-year prison sentence.

Their father Hyun, who was tried earlier than the two daughters, was found guilty of obstructing business and had his 3-year prison sentence upheld by the Supreme Court in March 2020.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.