The result of a police investigation of the cheating scandal which happened at Sook-myung Girls’ High School came out. A teacher showed answers from a school test to his twin daughters. The teacher leaked the answers to help his daughters get a good grade. Suspicion was aroused based on the fact that the daughters were the only students who checked the wrong answer for an easy question. Actually, the answer that the twins got from their father was a teacher’s mistake. However, because it was a very easy and basic question, all students except for the twins wrote the correct answer, which wasn’t the answer listed in the answer key.
  Also, another fact that the teacher, the father of the twins, inspected the answer sheets alone was verified, so the doubt deepened. Therefore, the police started investigating the teacher and his daughters. The police found the test answers in the twin daughters’ diaries and faint answers on their test papers. The police then concluded that the father leaked the test answers and sent this case to the public prosecutor’s office. After the police investigation, the school decided to give the daughters’ a zero and to expel them from school. Also, the school’s disciplinary committee decided to fire the teacher who leaked the answers.
  When this case first appeared in the media, I was enraged. However, I felt sadness gradually. It is because we can find many instances of people choosing dishonest processes, like cheating and plagiarism, to achieve an excellent result easily in our society. The scandal about Chung Yu-ra’s illicit admission to Ewha Womans University is a perfect example of such behavior.
  Why did the father tell his daughters the answers beforehand? I think that the social atmosphere of strongly emphasizing results influenced the father’s illegal act. Society in the 21st century is like an infinite competition. People are forced to run much faster, higher and farther than others, like racehorses. They think that results are more important than the work. If a person performs more slowly and honestly than others, he/she will be treated as a silly and foolish person. Our society seems to be forgetting the value of honesty.
  Of course, it is an advantage to achieve results faster than other people as speed is a merit in this capitalistic society. However, it is wrong to think that results are the most important factor as people won’t even consider the fairness or honesty of the processes. People are sick and tired of the emphasis on results. Therefore, people should focus on the meaning of the procedure again. Methods are as important as results. Results can have different values depending on whether the processes were fair and honest or not. People should remember the value of honesty.
  I will try to help make an honest and fair society. Disregarding honesty, I might get better results with little effort. However, if I’m not confident about the results gained by a dishonest procedure and feel shame about it, it’s not a learning experience. Therefore, I will be honest about everything, even the small things. Also, I won’t deceive myself or others to get good results.
  Some people might say that I can’t change society with my small efforts. However, if there are others who also start making efforts for being honest through my attempt, I think it is worthy enough. As every single drop of water forms the sea, small efforts can make a big wave of change. In a fair and honest society made by everyone’s efforts, people will be much happier.