As half a million individuals from across South Korea take the most significant evaluation of their lives, a small annual silence has once more enshrined the nation.
Planes were grounded, development work halted, and vehicle screaming discouraged as the Suneung, an eight-hour college placement test billed as one of the toughest in the world, kicked off on Thursday.
But this year, there was one noise that individuals were particularly scared of:” APT”.
Individuals who feared that their catchy lyrics might make them forget to listen to the “forbidden” music of Blackpink’s Rosé and Bruno Mars soon discovered it as a “forbidden” music.
The Suneung, which many view as the culmination of years of formal education and as a turning level for their academic careers, societal messages, and assignments in universities, are no exceptions.
One student reportedly complained to Yonhap News,” I’m worried that the music will execute in my mind even while I’m taking the exam.” ” Adults may laugh and state,’ Why tension over something like that?’ But for us, with such an essential test away, it may feel unsettling”.
Suneung individuals have recently been advised to stay away from other so-called earworms, with paths like” Get Go” by Song and” Ring Ding Dong” by SHINee being frequently cited online as lines that ought to be forbidden.
A national effort is made to ensure that the test runs easily. Authorities changed the hours of operation for public transportation, put more than a dozen free trains on standby, and the stock market and stores opened late on Thursday to ease traffic congestion.
More than 10, 000 police officials were deployed, including some charged to ferry kids to school during crises.
Regulators have also instructed vehicle and cab drivers to avoid screaming while the tests are taking place, in addition to grounding airplanes to reduce noise disturbances during the 20-minute English listening check.
Disruptions to the Suneung are treated as a serious matter. Last December, dozens of students sued the government after teachers accidentally cut their test short by 90 seconds.
There are a record number of candidates retaking the exam this year, after authorities announced they would expand enrolment in medical schools – a move that was met with widespread protests among trainee doctors while being welcomed by aspiring medical students.