Hyun Woo-jin Denies Charges at First Trial Over 'Exam Question Transactions': "I Paid Legitimate Compensation"

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Hyun Woo-jin, a star lecturer indicted on charges of giving large sums of money and valuables to incumbent teachers, denied the charges at his first trial.

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 10 Single Judge (Presiding Judge Lee Jae-uk) held the first hearing on the 24th for four individuals: Hyun, a related party from Hyun's side, and two incumbent teachers, all indicted on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

According to the prosecution, from 2020 to 2023, Hyun is accused of remitting a total of over 420 million won to three incumbent teachers in exchange for receiving mathematics exam questions from them.

At the trial, Hyun's attorney argued, "There was absolutely no intention to violate the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and this was merely a legitimate contract for the transaction of exam questions to provide high-quality materials to students." The attorney further stated, "Article 8, Paragraph 3, Subparagraph 3 of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act clearly specifies that money or valuables provided based on legitimate grounds such as the fulfillment of obligations arising from private transactions do not fall under the category of money or valuables prohibited under Article 8, Paragraph 1." The attorney added, "All payments were remitted via bank transfer based on formal contracts, and taxes were fully paid."

Regarding the issue of the incumbent teachers not receiving approval for secondary employment, Hyun's side stated, "There was no knowledge as to whether these teachers had obtained secondary employment approval from their respective schools or whether such approval was required." The statement continued, "There is no legal obligation for Hyun to individually verify whether incumbent teachers had obtained approval for secondary employment."

Meanwhile, the court requested the prosecution to carefully review the legal basis for their charges. The court pointed out, "According to Article 10 of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act (Restriction on Receiving Lecture Fees for External Lectures, etc.), only administrative fines are imposed for excessive lecture fees related to contributions, with no provisions for criminal punishment."

The court further requested, "Please submit a detailed written opinion on why this case was indicted under Article 8 (Prohibition on Receiving Money or Valuables), which is a criminal punishment provision, rather than as a matter for administrative fines." The prosecution agreed to clarify its stance through a separate written opinion.

The next hearing for Hyun and the others is scheduled for the 29th of next month.

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