Home > National > Social Affairs

Concerns rise over Topik answer leak in China after test-taker reported to police

Published: 16 Apr. 2026, 16:55 Updated: 16 Apr. 2026, 17:48

Test takers take the Test of Proficiency in Korean [CHO MOON-GYU]

Answers to the Test of Proficiency in Korean, or Topik, were leaked on Chinese social media, according to sources on Thursday.

Suspicions were raised after a Chinese student was caught looking at a note suspected of containing exam answers at a testing site in Korea on Sunday.

The National Institute for International Education, which administers the exam, said that it had determined that the student had obtained answers in advance, revoked the student’s testing eligibility and reported the case to the police.

On the same day, several hours before the test began, a document believed to contain answers was reportedly shared on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, prompting concerns that test-takers may have carried answer sheets with them or simply memorized the leaked answers before sitting for the test.

Time differences across continents are cited as a key factor that enabled the leak. The test was first administered on Saturday in regions including the United States, Europe, Africa and Oceania, followed by Asia, including Korea and China, the next day.

Although not identical, the exams share largely similar questions, raising the risk that a test-taker who sat for the exam on Saturday could memorize the questions and pass them on, allowing later test-takers to enter the exam after determining the answers.

A test taker marks answers for the Test of Proficiency in Korean [JOONGANG ILBO]

The number of Topik takers has been rising sharply along with the popularity of Korean culture and the influx of international students in Korea, rising from around 330,000 in 2021 to about 550,000 last year, an increase of roughly 220,000 over four years.

There were 182 cases of cheating in 2020, 331 in 2021, 240 in 2022, 421 in 2023 and 414 in 2024 — a total of 1,611 over five years, according to Rep. Kim Dae-sik of the People Power Party, citing data from the Ministry of Education and the National Institute for International Education.

The possession of unauthorized communication devices accounted for the largest share with 488 cases, followed by proxy test-taking and related arrangements at 137 cases.

The Education Ministry on Wednesday said it will cooperate fully with the investigation to identify and take action against additional violators.

TOPIK II Pass Recipe and practical mock test books line a bookshelf in a bookstore in Mapo District, western Seoul, on April 15, 2025. [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

“We will actively cooperate with the investigation so that additional cases of cheating can be identified and addressed,” the Education Ministry announced in the wake of the incident. “We plan to implement measures to strengthen fairness — including eliminating similarities between test papers across continents to fundamentally block answer leaks exploiting time differences, starting from the July exam."

The government-administered Topik is widely used as a qualification standard for university admission and graduation, as well as for employment and visa issuance.

The test consists of listening, reading and writing sections, with scores determining levels from one to six. Level 6, the highest, indicates the ability to use Korean fluently in academic and professional contexts.

The Education Ministry recommends that international students obtain at least Level 3 for university admission and Level 4 for graduation.

BY LEE HOO-YEON [[email protected]]