Word out of South Korea: all flights were temporarily banned on Thursday. The reason? To ensure total silence while students tackled the country’s ultra-competitive university admission exam.
According to Reuters, flights were grounded or barred from landing between 1:05 p.m. and 1:40 p.m. That 35-minute pause covered the listening comprehension section of the English test, halting over 140 flights, including 65 international arrivals and departures.
This isn’t unusual. It’s part of nationwide measures meant to minimize distractions as more than 500,000 students sat for the annual exam, known as the Suneung. This test is widely considered one of the most grueling and high-stakes academic challenges out there.
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Police Escort Students and Businesses Adjust Schedules
Beyond just airspace, police officers and government agencies also mobilized to ensure that all test-takers arrived on time.
Across the country, police provided emergency escorts for late students. Businesses and government offices opened one hour later than usual to ease traffic near exam centers. The exam, which lasts about nine hours, determines admission to South Korea’s most prestigious universities—institutions often seen as gateways to career success and social mobility.
Officials stated that approximately 554,174 people registered for the exam this year, marking the highest number since 2019, largely due to the size of the 2007 birth cohort.
Airports and Airlines Cooperate for National Quiet Hour
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport worked closely with airlines and air traffic control to enforce the nationwide flight ban. During that window, all takeoffs and landings were paused. The airspace closure, while brief, required coordination among domestic and international carriers.
Officials said the decision impacted over 140 scheduled flights, affecting both domestic and international routes—a clear sign of the country’s commitment to education and fairness in exam conditions. “All flights were banned from landing or taking off between 1:05 p.m. and 1:40 p.m. to ensure that there were no disturbances while students took the listening comprehension section of their English exam,” Reuters reported.
Why South Korea Takes Its College Entrance Exam So Seriously
The Suneung, officially known as the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), is seen as one of the most defining moments in a South Korean student’s life.
The test determines admission to top-tier universities, such as Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University, and its results can significantly influence job prospects, family reputation, and even future marriage opportunities. Because of this, the entire country slows down each November—trains delay departures, stock markets open late, and even construction work pauses to ensure students can focus without distraction.
Parents gather outside schools to pray, while teachers and volunteers offer moral support to test-takers as they enter one of the most pressure-filled moments of their academic journey.
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