It's the day of 'Suneung', South Korea's annual national college entrance exam.<br />The students started the most stressful day of their young life's one hour 20 minutes ago.<br />Given the level of stress involved, the whole country is taking its usual steps so the students can take their once-in-a-lifetime test as comfortably and peacefully as possible.<br />Choi Jeong-yoon has the details.<br />At this time of the year, Korean students take the College Scholastic Ability Test, called 'Suneung' in Korean.<br />On Thursday morning, it what is the coldest Suneung in five years,... nearly 550-thousand students sat at their once-in-a-lifetime college entrance exams at 1-thousand-185 test sites nationwide.<br />The number of test takers this year is down more than 40-thousand from last year, due to an overall drop in the school age population.<br />The exams consist of Korean language, mathematics, English, Korean history and subjects of the students' choice in either social or natural science.<br />Some students can selectively take another foreign language or Chinese characters.<br />"In Korea, Suneung is a symbol finalizing 12 years of elementary, middle and high school education...as the result determines which university they enter next year."<br />To say the whole academic life of a Korean student leads up to this one day would not be an exaggeration.<br />This, as there's a strong belief in Korean society that the college you attend shapes one’s future.<br />As the exam is considered a once in a lifetime challenge, friends, teachers and parents came to the test sites to give their encouragement.<br />"My son prepared for years to take this test. Some days not going to sleep until two in the morning. I hope he gets a good result so that he can go to the college he wants."<br />"I came early this morning to support our seniors. I wish them good luck after all their years of studying."<br />Nationwide measures are being taken to support the test takers as well.<br />During the morning rush hour, workers in the public sector and some private firms will start work an hour later than usual.<br />The country’s stock markets will open and close an hour later as well.<br />Along with additional subway trains and buses, police officers will offer motorcycle rides to students who are running late.<br />"The best drivers have gathered to manage the streets near the test sites and give rides to the test takers who came to the wrong school."<br />In the afternoon, airplanes are prohibited from taking off or landing during the 25 minute English listening test.<br />Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.<br />
