soul
Reuters
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More than 500,000 people in South Korea took the tough university entrance exam on Thursday, and all flights were suspended for 30 minutes as police were called to ensure they arrived on time at the exam venue.
The number of people taking the exam, which is crucial to securing admission to the country’s top universities, is the highest in seven years. Most of the candidates were born in 2007, a year seen as an auspicious time to have babies and when the number of births soared.
All airports, including Incheon International Airport, banned planes from taking off and landing from 1:05 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. to prevent confusion while students were taking the listening section of the English exam.
The decision affected 140 flights, including 65 international flights. Flight tracking equipment showed the plane circling near the airport, as the Ministry of Transport restricts aircraft from flying below 3,000 meters (9,843 feet).
Financial markets and financial offices opened an hour later than usual to ensure candidates arrive on time for the nine-hour exam, which is critical to success in a competitive world.
“This exam has been a goal for nearly 20 years, and it was also a new beginning,” said Yesung Kim, who was waiting outside the exam center where her daughter was taking the exam.
This year’s registration totaled 554,174 people, an increase of 6% from last year and the highest since 2019. Approximately 496,000 babies were born in 2007, halting a steady decline since the mid-1990s.
South Korea has one of the fastest aging societies in the world, but the birth rate has risen to 0.75 by 2024.
