Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

More than half a million students across South Korea took the country’s notoriously difficult university entrance exams on Thursday, with police and public services mobilized nationwide to ensure test-takers arrived at their venues on time, Azernews reports.

According to the Ministry of Education, 554,174 applicants were registered this year — a 6% increase from last year and the highest number since 2019. Most candidates were born in 2007, a year that saw a temporary baby boom as it was considered a particularly auspicious time for childbirth.

To minimize disruptions, the government imposed a 35-minute flight ban during the English listening test, except for emergency situations. The measure affected around 140 flights, including 65 international arrivals and departures. Air traffic data showed planes circling airports, as the Ministry of Transport restricted aircraft flying below 3,000 meters.

Banks, government offices, and financial markets opened an hour later than usual to help reduce morning traffic and allow students to reach test centers smoothly.

The nine-hour exam, known as the Suneung (College Scholastic Ability Test), is widely regarded as a life-defining event in South Korea’s hypercompetitive society. Success in the test often determines not only university placement but also future job prospects and social standing.

Interestingly, several superstitions and rituals surround exam day. One of the most well-known taboos is eating seaweed soup, as its slippery texture is believed to symbolize “slipping up” on the test, prompting many households and restaurants to avoid serving it on exam day.

Experts note that the surge in test-takers this year reflects a brief demographic anomaly. About 496,000 babies were born in 2007, marking a short-lived rebound in the birth rate that had been declining since the mid-1990s. Today, however, South Korea faces one of the fastest-aging populations in the world, with birth rates again hitting record lows.

The intense focus on education has shaped South Korea’s economic miracle, but it has also fueled debates about mental health, work-life balance, and the pressure on youth. In recent years, some policymakers have suggested reforms to make the system more flexible — yet for now, exam day remains one of the most solemn and dramatic days of the Korean year.