Suneung (수능)

I was wondering why, on what i thought was a random Thursday in November, I was told to come late into work so I looked it up online. It was because of Suneung, or the South Korean entrance exams for college. After reading more about the exam my mind was blown!!! This test in not only no joke to the students that need to take it and their families, but it literally effects the entire country!?! On this day public building works, such as people that work for the government including teachers, arrive at work an hour later so to reduce traffic congestion to ensure that all students arrive at the exam place on time. Even the stock market may open late. In between 6 am and 10am buses and trains will increase in their frequency. during the 9 hour testing period people are prohibited from honking their horns near schools. All aircrafts are grounded during the testing hours. no planes land or takeoff so that the noise of a low flying plane can not distract a student. Younger students will stand at the entrance and cheer on their upper classmen as they enter into the building to take the exam. Parents will wait the 9 hours accross the street or many of them will go to the near by temple or church and pray for their child's success for the 9 hours. But I think the really cool part about this day is that from 6am to 10am taxis drivers will pick up students and rush them to their exam site for absolutely no charge. For this one day in South Korea the entire country is revolving around these students and this life changing test they must take. And for this one day everyone really pulls together, does their part, does whatever they can do to help, and the people as a whole are willing to sacrifice whatever they have to to help these students succeed. There is something really poetic in that.

There is a fantastic documentary that goes even deeper into the lives of students before they take the exam and the exam day. It is about 20 minutes long but it defiantly worth checking it out! Just click on the link below:

http://vimeo.com/24642646