How One College Test Freezes South Korea Every Year

Every year, South Korea comes to an extraordinary standstill for the Suneung, the nation’s university entrance exam regarded as one of the most influential events in a student’s life.

More than 550,000 applicants sit for the nine-hour test, which determines admission to top universities and shapes opportunities for jobs, status, and long-term social mobility.

To protect the integrity of the listening section of the English exam, the government imposes a nationwide 35-minute ban on all flights, affecting around 140 scheduled departures and arrivals at major airports, including Incheon.

Financial markets, banks, and public offices open an hour later to ensure clear roads for students traveling to test centers, while police escorts are dispatched for anyone running late.

Participation reached a seven-year high this year, tied to a temporary rise in birth rates in 2007.

Beyond logistics, the day is shaped by cultural rituals: parents gather at temples to pray, students avoid seaweed soup due to superstition, and younger classmates line the school gates, cheering on seniors.