Exams halt flights, stock market for prayers

Flights are temporarily halted, the stock market will trade an hour later and parents are packing shrines for prayers - it can only be college entry exam day for South Korean students.

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A LITTLE HELP. A South Korean Buddhist prays at the Bongeunsa Temple as students sit for the annual college entrance exam, known locally as Suneung, in Seoul yesterday.

(Picture: AFP)

The college entry exam, known locally as the Suneung, is essential for admission to top universities and widely regarded as a gateway to social mobility, economic security and even a good marriage.

With so much at stake, the South Korean government is taking no chances as anxious-looking students bid farewell to their parents on what many consider to be the most important day of their teenage lives.