A student was caught using AI-powered smart glasses during Yonsei University’s entrance exam over the weekend, the first known case of the technology being used to cheat on a college admissions test in Korea.

A proctor caught a student wearing smart glasses during a mathematics essay-based entrance exam at Yonsei University in western Seoul on Saturday for admission to the 2027 academic year. The proctor confiscated the device on the spot, according to the university and other sources on Monday. The exam for natural sciences and interdisciplinary applicants began at 10:30 a.m.

The student reportedly admitted to university officials after the exam that they had used the smart glasses. Competition for admission through Yonsei University's essay-based track was fierce, with 14,452 applicants vying for just 288 spots, a ratio of about 50 to one.

Before the exam began, proctors inspected students' glasses for potential cheating devices. 

Afterward, test-takers took to online forums to describe the unusually meticulous scrutiny. "The proctors paid particular attention to glasses before the exam," one wrote. Another said, "Six proctors checked our glasses. It was almost intimidating."

The university's exam rules require students to switch off and surrender all electronic communication devices before the test. Smart glasses fall under the same restrictions as other wearable technology.

"We thoroughly checked students' glasses before the exam, but the student appears to have swapped their regular glasses for smart glasses after receiving the test paper," a Yonsei University official said. The university also opened an investigation.

Smart glasses have previously surfaced in cheating cases involving standardized tests such as the Test of English for International Communication (Toeic) and the Test of Proficiency in Korean, but never before in a university entrance essay exam.

"This incident at Yonsei University will heighten concerns that smart glasses could also be used to cheat on college entrance exams and school tests," an education official said.

In July, the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office brought summary charges against a person in their 40s for allegedly bringing smart glasses into a fire protection equipment engineer certification exam without authorization and using them during the test. It was the first case in which cheating involving smart glasses led to criminal prosecution.

In May and June alone, three test-takers were caught cheating with smart glasses during Toeic exams.

Those caught cheating typically tapped the arms of their smart glasses to activate a tiny built-in camera that scanned exam questions. The glasses, which were connected to AI services such as ChatGPT and Gemini, then displayed step-by-step solutions and answers on transparent lenses for the wearer to read.

"University essay exams are held simultaneously across the country, which can make supervision relatively lax," said Kim Yun-hwan, an essay-writing instructor who raised concerns about smart glasses in a YouTube video in August. "The technology is still awkward to use for Korean language and social studies essays. But math and science problems have more straightforward solutions and numerical answers, which could encourage more students to cheat."

The rise of smart glasses as a potential cheating tool has put education authorities on alert.

The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, which administers the nationwide College Scholastic Ability Test, has explicitly listed smart glasses among the items prohibited at exam centers under its detailed guidelines for the 2027 academic year. Authorities also plan to expand the deployment of radio-frequency detectors capable of detecting smart glasses and miniature earpieces at national exam sites.

"We need concrete, practical measures rather than placing the entire burden on universities and schools,” said Kim Myuhng-joo, a professor of information security at Seoul Women’s University. "We need practical safeguards, such as asking students to sign voluntary pledges accepting penalties if they are caught with smart glasses."