Students caught using smart glasses to cheat in South Korea's national university entrance examinations could face criminal complaints and a three-year ban on retaking the test under proposed tougher rules.The move comes as AI-powered eyewear becomes more accessible, raising concerns about students using cameras and AI assistants to gain an unfair advantage during examinations."The ministry will seek criminal charges against students caught cheating with smart glasses" in the future, Lee Joon-hyuk, an education ministry official, told AFP.THREE-YEAR BAN AND CRIMINAL COMPLAINTSSouth Korea's education ministry plans to extend the current one-year restriction on retaking the exam to three years for students caught cheating with smart glasses. However, the tougher rules are unlikely to apply to next month's university entrance test.

With around 20 days left, officials said there was not enough time to amend the law."We plan to push for the changes to take effect from next year's exam," Lee said. The move follows incidents involving three students caught wearing or possessing smart glasses during university essay examinations in Seoul.South Korea is not alone in facing the problem.

Taiwan's prestigious National Taiwan University reportedly disqualified an entrance exam candidate this summer for cheating with AI smart glasses.SMART GLASSES UNDER EXAMINATIONThe ministry's proposed measures also include assigning a designated staff member at every examination centre to identify suspicious eyewear.The concern is particularly serious in South Korea, where the national university entrance test, known as the Suneung, can determine access to top universities and future career opportunities.The pressure surrounding the examination is so intense that the country imposes a 35-minute nationwide flight ban during the English listening test. Banks and public offices also ask employees to start work an hour later to reduce traffic.As smart glasses gain more features, including photo and video recording and access to AI assistants, exam authorities are facing a new challenge: spotting technology that can be hidden in plain sight.(With inputs from AFP)- Ends