South Korea’s difficult exam

Such a test took place in South Korea on Thursday for which even flights in the country were stopped. More than five lakh students in the country appeared for the country’s most difficult university entrance exam. Police were deployed and all flights were stopped for half an hour to ensure that students reach the examination centers on time.

The number of students appearing for the exam this year was the highest in the last 7 years. Most of the test takers were born in 2007—when the birth rate in the country increased, as that year was considered auspicious for the birth of children.

Why were the flights stopped

To avoid any noise during the Listening Comprehension English section exam, takeoff and landing of airplanes was banned at all airports including Incheon International Airport from 1:05 pm to 1:40 pm.

This decision affected 140 flights, including 65 international flights. Flight trackers showed many planes circling near airports because the Transport Ministry had banned flying at altitudes below 3,000 meters (9,843 feet).

The exam lasted for 9 hours

Along with this, this exam was given so much importance in the country. So much importance was given to the fact that all the students reached the exam hall on time. That is why financial markets and offices in South Korea open one hour late so that they can give exams well. This exam lasts for 9 hours and is very important. This exam is considered decisive for success in the competitive social system there.

“This exam has been our goal for almost 20 years and now is also a new beginning,” Yeeson Kim, mother of one of the examinees, who was waiting outside the exam center for her daughter, said, CAN reports.

People born in 2007 gave the exam

A total of 5,54,174 people registered for the exam this year—which is 6% more than last year and the highest since 2019. Nearly 496,000 children were born in 2007, temporarily halting the decline that had been continuing since the mid-1990s.

South Korea is one of the fastest aging countries in the world, although its birth rate is expected to increase to 0.75 in 2024.