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By Jun Ji-hye
The Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK) under the direct control of the Ministry of Employment of Labor is facing criticism over a grave error in handling completed test papers while conducting recent exams for national technical qualification certificates.
It shredded the answer sheets of 609 exam takers before grading them, according to Uh Soo-bong, president of HRDK, Tuesday.
Uh made a public apology and vowed to offer a chance to those 609 victims to retake the exams. But such measures appear to be insufficient in appeasing the test takers.
The state-run organization, which deals with qualification management, support of the foreign workforce and skills promotion, among others, is also likely to face claims for damages from some of the victims.
On April 23, the organization administered nationwide exams for national certificates for various types of job skills, including work related to construction machinery.
Among the test venues was a middle school in Seoul's Eunpyeong District where 609 people took exams to acquire job-skill certification across 61 categories.
Their answer sheets were delivered to one of the organization's branches in western Seoul. Then, the answer sheets were shredded by mistake rather than being handed over to the department in charge of grading.
"This kind of incident must not happen in a public institution that should guarantee fairness and confidence," Uh said during a media briefing. "All the people in charge, including myself, will assume responsibility. I once again apologize to the exam takers."
The organization will give the 609 people a chance to retake the exams. As some of the test takers need the certificates before they take a civil service examination scheduled for June 14 through 19, the organization will allow these people to retake the exams from June 1 to 4.
The unfairness of offering the 609 people another chance to take another exam with different questions is a major issue facing the organization that already became a target of criticism in 2021 when it awarded different scores for the same answer in a tax accounting exam.
The Ministry of Employment of Labor has begun to carry out a special investigation into the latest case.
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