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A brief yearly silence has once again enveloped South Korea, as half a million students across the country sit for the most important test of their lives.<\/p>\n
Planes were grounded, construction work halted, and car honking discouraged as the Suneung, an eight-hour university placement exam billed as one of the toughest in the world, kicked off on Thursday.<\/p>\n
But this year, there was one sound that students were especially scared of: “APT”. <\/p>\n
The global hit by Blackpink’s Ros\u00e9 and Bruno Mars emerged as a “forbidden” song among students who feared that its catchiness could cause them to lose focus during the test.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
No distractions are too minor when it comes to the Suneung, which many see as a culmination of years of formal education – and a turning point that determines their university placements, careers, and social statuses.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m worried that the song will play in my head even during the exam,” one student told Yonhap News of the chart-topper. “Adults might laugh and say, ‘Why stress over something like that?’ But for us, with such an important test ahead, it can feel unsettling.”<\/p>\n
Suneung students have previously been encouraged to avoid other so-called earworms, with songs such as “Go Go” by BTS and “Ring Ding Dong” by SHINee repeatedly cited online as tracks that should be forbidden.<\/p>\n
Ensuring that the exam runs smoothly is a nationwide effort. Shops and the stock market opened late on Thursday to reduce traffic congestion, and authorities adjusted public transport operating hours and put more than a dozen spare trains on standby in case of breakdowns. <\/p>\n
More than 10,000 police officers were deployed, including some tasked to ferry students to school during emergencies.<\/p>\n
Besides grounding planes to minimise noise disturbances during the 20-minute English listening test, authorities have also asked bus and taxi drivers to refrain from honking while the tests are taking place.<\/p>\n
Disruptions to the Suneung are treated as a serious matter. Last December, dozens of students sued the government<\/a> after teachers accidentally cut their test short by 90 seconds.<\/p>\n There are a record number of candidates retaking the exam this year, after authorities announced they would expand enrolment in medical schools – a move that was met with widespread protests among trainee doctors<\/a> while being welcomed by aspiring medical students.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n