South Korea plans later work starts and flight pause for college entrance exam
The government plans extra Seoul-area subway services and a pause in aircraft movements and certain military drills while candidates take the Nov. 19 test.
South Korea plans to adjust work hours, transport, flights and military activity nationwide on Nov. 19 to help candidates reach their college entrance exam and limit noise during it, according to Yonhap News Agency. The measures announced by the Education Ministry affect commuters, employers and air travel as well as the 551,864 people expected to sit the test.
The College Scholastic Ability Test, known as Suneung, is scheduled to run from 8:40 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at 1,312 test centers across the country, Yonhap reported. A South Korean Ministry of Education notice also sets Nov. 19, 2026, as the date of the test for the 2027 academic year.
Later starts and more trains on exam morning
The government will ask public institutions, including government offices, and private businesses to have staff report to work after 10 a.m., Yonhap reported. The aim is to ease traffic congestion and help candidates arrive at their test centers on time. Yonhap described this as a request to employers; it did not establish that later starts would be mandatory.
Subways in the greater Seoul area are due to run more frequently from 6 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Emergency transport vehicles will also be deployed to assist students who need help getting to their test venues, according to Yonhap. Those arrangements focus on the morning journey, before the exam begins at 8:40 a.m.
Flight and military restrictions during the English test
Aircraft and helicopter takeoffs and landings are to be prohibited from 1:10 p.m. to 1:35 p.m., the scheduled English listening comprehension section, Yonhap reported. Military exercises involving artillery fire or tank movements will be put on hold for the same period. The restrictions are intended to keep noise from disturbing candidates while they listen to the test audio.
Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said the government would work with other branches to support candidates so they could fully demonstrate their abilities, according to Yonhap. The exam carries particular weight in South Korea because university admission can heavily influence career prospects and social standing, the agency reported.
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Sources and context
- S. Korea to adjust work hours, flights, military drills on day of annual college entrance examYonhap News Agency
- 2027학년도 대학수학능력시험은 2026년 11월 19일(목)에 시행됩니다South Korean Ministry of Education
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.