South Korea halts flights for college entry exam
11/13/2025 7:48:00 AM
Flights are temporarily halted, the stock market will trade an hour later and parents are packing shrines for prayers -- it can only be college entry exam day for South Korean students.
The college entry exam, known locally as the "Suneung", is essential for admission to top universities and widely regarded as a gateway to social mobility, economic security and even a good marriage.
With so much at stake, the South Korean government is taking no chances as anxious-looking students bid farewell to their parents on what many consider to be the most important day of their teenage lives.
A 35-minute nationwide ban on flights has been imposed during the English listening test, except in emergencies, while banks and public offices told their workers to start an hour later to avoid traffic on the roads.
"I am really nervous but as I have prepared so much, I will do my best," Kim Min-jae, 18, told AFP as he walked into a test centre in Seoul on Thursday morning.
He said his parents were "even more nervous" than he was as he left home.
"They tried to make sure I have everything," he said, smiling.
A total of 140 flights, including 75 international services, will be rescheduled from 1:05 to 1:40 pm because of the exam, the land ministry told AFP.
Videos of police rushing late students to exam halls have also become an annual occurrence.
The college entry exam, known locally as the "Suneung", is essential for admission to top universities and widely regarded as a gateway to social mobility, economic security and even a good marriage.
With so much at stake, the South Korean government is taking no chances as anxious-looking students bid farewell to their parents on what many consider to be the most important day of their teenage lives.
A 35-minute nationwide ban on flights has been imposed during the English listening test, except in emergencies, while banks and public offices told their workers to start an hour later to avoid traffic on the roads.
"I am really nervous but as I have prepared so much, I will do my best," Kim Min-jae, 18, told AFP as he walked into a test centre in Seoul on Thursday morning.
He said his parents were "even more nervous" than he was as he left home.
"They tried to make sure I have everything," he said, smiling.
A total of 140 flights, including 75 international services, will be rescheduled from 1:05 to 1:40 pm because of the exam, the land ministry told AFP.
Videos of police rushing late students to exam halls have also become an annual occurrence.