609 unscored answer sheets destroyed by mistake in state-administered test

SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- The answer sheets of 609 people in a state-administered exam last month were found to have been destroyed without grading after they were sent to the wrong place by mistake, leaving the test takers having to retake the exam.

They took the nationwide test for industrial engineer licenses on April 23 at a middle school in Seoul's northwestern district of Eunpyeong, but their answer sheets were moved to a storage room by mistake while those from Seoul's 17 other test centers were sent to a vault for grading.

Officials of the state-run Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK), the exam's administrator, found out about the mistake on May 20, but only after the misplaced answer sheets were shredded.

The HRDK said it will contact all 609 examinees individually to apologize and explain follow-up measures.

They plan to schedule another exam opportunity from June 1 to 4 while announcing the exam results on the prearranged date of June 9, as well as compensate them for transportation fees, and possibly more.

It also plans to reprimand those responsible and take steps to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

"I feel a heavy responsibility that what cannot happen has happened at a public institution that is supposed to guarantee the fairness and reliability of state licenses," Uh Soo-bong, head of the HRDK, said. "I bow my head and apologize to people for causing damage to the test takers."

sookim@yna.co.kr
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