Virus rules add to stress for S. Korea college exams

SEOUL－More than half a million South Koreans sat for the annual national college entrance exams on Thursday, with pandemic rules adding stress to the eight-hour event seen as life-defining in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

This year's test-takers did not face the delays and uncertainties of the first pandemic-era exams last year, but COVID-19 measures have certainly left their mark on the College Scholastic Ability Test. The CSAT is widely considered as indispensable for landing one of the limited number of jobs in a competitive society.

"I couldn't properly go to private institutes, study rooms, nor school due to coronavirus," said 17-year-old Ahn Jeong-min. "Still, I'm vaccinated, and everyone will wear face masks and use partitions during the exam, so I think I can take the exam well, feeling comfortable rather than having much concerns."

More than 509,000 high school seniors, graduates and other test-takers have signed up to take the single-day, five-session exam held at 1,251 test sites nationwide, according to the Education Ministry.

At least 173 people who tested positive for the coronavirus or otherwise require isolation will take the test at hospitals or separate exam centers.

The 3,292 new cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday marked the second straight day of over 3,000 cases. The agency reported 29 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 3,187, while 506 others were in serious or critical condition.

To ensure optimum conditions for the CSAT, transportation authorities planned to temporarily stop landings and departures of planes at airports during the English listening exam. Government offices and private companies had their employees come in late, and the country's stock market delayed its opening by an hour to clear roads for test-takers.

"(Students) weren't given proper classes (because of COVID-19) and I often saw my child worrying much and struggling," said Seo Kwangsun, a mother of a test-taker in Seoul.

While schools have been alternating between online and in-person classes, the Education Ministry had planned a full return to the classrooms starting next week to help reduce education gaps and align with the government's virus strategies.

Officials eased social distancing rules starting this month in what they described as the first step toward restoring some pre-pandemic normalcy. In allowing larger social gatherings and longer indoor dining hours at restaurants, officials cited concerns about the pandemic's impact on the economy and expressed hope that improving vaccination rates would keep hospitalizations and deaths down even if the virus continues to spread.

Agencies via Xinhua