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It was that time again: students before the beginning of what is probably the most important test of their lives
Photo: JUNG YEON-JE / POOL / EPA
It's the day the whole country holds its breath: More than 500,000 South Koreans took the university entrance test on Thursday - an appointment that is considered to be of vital importance.
About 40 percent of all students in South Korea were surveyed in Korean, math, English, history, social studies and a second foreign language.
And while the young adults sweated in the classroom, their family members prayed for success.
In Asia's fourth-largest economy, not only your professional future, but also your social standing or marriage chances strongly depend on which university you have attended.
That is why many parents prepare their children for the almost eight-hour "Suneung exam" at an early age.
Air traffic stands still
The authorities take special measures every year so that the prospective students can concentrate as well as possible: Airplanes are kept on the ground at certain times so that the noise does not disturb the hearing tests;
Offices open later so that the streets are not too crowded and all students: arrive at the examination room on time;
even the stock exchanges remain closed longer than usual.
There are doubts about whether all the stress is really good.
A survey a few years ago found that among 30 developed countries, students in South Korea are the least happy.
Educational pressure was cited as the main reason.
Biggest daily increase in corona cases
And as if all of that wasn't enough, the young adults at the 1251 test locations across the country had to cope with another challenge - the pandemic.
Quarantine centers were opened weeks ago to accommodate people infected with Covid-19.
During the exams themselves, the candidates had to wear masks and sit at tables with plastic partitions.
According to the Ministry of Education, 68 infected and 105 other students with symptoms completed the test in self-isolation.
On the day of the test, South Korea reported the largest daily increase in corona cases since the pandemic began.
mas, with material from Reuters