Students wait for the start of the annual college entrance examinations at an exam hall in Seoul, South Korea, November 13, 2025. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters Seoul Reuters —

More than half a million people in South Korea sat for the country’s grueling university entrance exam on Thursday as police mobilized to ensure they made it to the test sites on time and all flights were halted for half an hour.

The number sitting the test, essential to secure a place at the country’s top universities, was the highest in seven years. Most of the candidates were born in 2007 when there was a surge in births because it was considered an auspicious time to have a baby.

Flights at all airports, including Incheon International Airport, were banned from landing or takeoff between 1:05 p.m. and 1:40 p.m.

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