South Korea Grounds Flights and Delays Markets for High‑Stakes 'Suneung' College Exam

South Korea paused flights, postponed trading and eased traffic to accommodate millions of students sitting the annual Suneung college entrance exam. The exam, formally the College Scholastic Ability Test, is widely regarded as decisive for admission to top universities and a major determinant of future opportunities.

Exam-day measures

Authorities imposed a 35-minute nationwide flight ban during the English listening section, with exceptions only for emergencies. The Land Ministry said 140 flights — including 75 international services — were rescheduled between 1:05 p.m. and 1:40 p.m. Banks and many public offices were asked to start an hour later, and the stock market agreed to open an hour after its usual time to reduce rush-hour congestion.

Scenes at test centres

Heavy media coverage and traffic police were visible at schools such as Yongsan High School in Seoul as students arrived early for the day-long exam. Videos of police escorting late students to exam halls have become a familiar sight each year.

"I am really nervous but as I have prepared so much, I will do my best," said 18-year-old Kim Min-jae as he entered a Seoul test centre, adding that his parents were "even more nervous" than he was.

Rituals, support and superstitions

Junior high pupils cheered candidates at school gates, holding encouraging signs and chanting slogans such as "Get 100 score on Suneung." Many families observe long-standing customs: parents often visit churches or Buddhist temples to pray for good results, and a common superstition sees households avoid seaweed soup at lunch because its slippery strands are thought to make students 'slip' on the test.

Han Yu-na, a 50-year-old mother who runs a private tutoring academy, said she timed her prayers and breaks to match her son's exam schedule. "My son Young-woo, I hope you pour your best until the end. I love you," she said.

Admissions change: school-violence records

More than 550,000 students registered for this year's test, though turnout is typically slightly lower. The 2026 admissions cycle will be the first in which all four-year universities are required to consider an applicant's history of school violence when making decisions. The change follows a wave of victims speaking out about bullying and demanding accountability. According to MP Kang Kyung-sook, ten state-run universities rejected 45 applicants for school-violence records in the last admission cycle.

Why it matters: The extraordinary public precautions and emotional rituals around Suneung underline its central role in South Korean society — as both an educational milestone and a cultural event that mobilizes families, institutions and the wider public.