Jim McMahon

Life in South Korea came to a halt one day in November so high school seniors could take an exam they’d prepared for all their lives. Airplanes remained grounded to ensure silence, while government buildings and banks opened late to ease traffic that could delay test takers. Police stood at the ready to provide escorts for any tardy students. The Suneung, or College Scholastic Ability Test, is an annual nine-hour exam that helps determine which students get admitted to the top universities, where admissions are extremely competitive. The test can determine a young South Korean’s future; anyone who fails has to wait a year to retake it. Family members often gather outside test sites or go to places of worship to pray and leave handwritten notes, like this woman at a Buddhist temple in Seoul. Although students were nervous, some expressed relief that the day of the test had finally come. “After today, I will be free,” a student told The Korea Herald. “I am ready for the next phase of my life.”