South Korea holds its breath as exam day rituals take over life

No aircraft takes off or lands, office hours are shifted, and TV studios muted ...

- BY ALEX ABRAHAM

Every November, South Korea transforms. Flights are grounded, stock markets open late, workplaces delay their day — all so hundreds of thousands of teenagers can sit the Suneung, the college entrance exam that dictates futures with near-mythic force.

This year was no different. As students filed into test centres, clutching pencils and prayer notes, the country slipped into its ritual of silence and superstition. For 35 minutes during the English listening test, the nation banned aircraft from taking off or landing. Offices told staff to report an hour later to keep roads clear. Banks shifted opening times. It was as if the country itself were holding its breath.

Most defining day for teens