Updated : 2025-11-13 13:02:01 KST
It's Suneung Day here in South Korea, where high school seniors and graduates take the country's annual college entrance exam. The test is well underway now and will last until nearly 6 PM. We have our reporter Ahn Sung-jin live by at one of the test sites. So Sung-jin, what was it like there this morning? Well Eunji, between our arrival at 7AM and the start of the test at just after 8AM, we saw students stream into the test taking site, cheered on by others holding signs with messages like "good luck" and "do your best."
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Luckily, the weather today isn't too cold as normally temperatures drop around Suneung day. For many students here in South Korea, having a good score in the Suneung is something to strive for and could decide their next steps in life. This year, more than 550-thousand students are taking the test at nearly 13-hundred test taking centers across the nation. "This is my second time taking the test so I have to do a good job. I want to play basketball and soccer and play video games when I'm done." "There are a lot of students taking the exam today. I hope they don't get too nervous. I came here to support my child."
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Now as you heard, the number of test takers for this year is the highest in seven years. The number of those retaking the exam has slightly decreased though, partly due to the reversal of plans to expand the medical school quota. Test takers had to enter the testing site by 8:10AM. The Suneung normally lasts for 8 hours, but depending on the number of elective subjects, some students can end up taking the exam for more than 9 hours. Starting off with Korean language, the exam continues through with math, English and elective subjects.
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And Sung-jin as you mentioned, as the Suneung such an important test for Korean students, what kind of measures are in place? Several measures have been put in place for a stable running of the Suneung. On the day of the test, most government offices and some companies pushed back their start time to 10AM. Local police officers have also been maintaining order around the testing site and transporting test takers in need. More than 10-thousand police officers, including traffic police, and around 2-thousand-2-hundred patrol cars have been deployed around test sites nationwide to ensure a smooth and stable testing environment.
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Particular caution will be taken during the English listening section which will be held from a little past 1PM till 1:30. Authorities have requested adjustments to flight schedules to that aircraft do not take off or land during this period. Construction and military training exercises that could generate loud noise will also be suspended. That's all I have for now. Back to you Eunji. That was our Ahn Sung-jin live at a testing site here in Seoul.
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