South Korea Grounds Planes So Their Students Can Take Exams In Silence

South Korea Grounds Planes So Their Students Can Take Exams In Silence
In a photo taken on August 26, 2014 a Korean Air Boeing 747 aircraft takes off before storm clouds at Gimpo airport, south of Seoul. South Korea's international air passenger traffic grew more than 10 percent in July from a year earlier with the number of international air passengers to and from South Korea at 5.13 million, up 10.6 percent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones (Photo credit should read ED JONES/AFP/Ge
In a photo taken on August 26, 2014 a Korean Air Boeing 747 aircraft takes off before storm clouds at Gimpo airport, south of Seoul. South Korea's international air passenger traffic grew more than 10 percent in July from a year earlier with the number of international air passengers to and from South Korea at 5.13 million, up 10.6 percent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones (Photo credit should read ED JONES/AFP/Ge
ED JONES via Getty Images

Well, you can't accuse South Korea of not being dedicated to their younger generation's future.

The country went so far as to ground planes so its students could sit their exams in total silence. Heaven forbid anyone so much as coughed, while even the army were told not to carry out any artillery drills.

Vehicles were banned from roads within 200 yards of test centres, and the majority of companies told their staff to come into work an hour late - in order to keep the roads clear for the 650,000 students taking the tests, AFP reported.

And for those who overslept? Police were on hand with a fleet of cars and motorcycles to ferry any student who feared they would not be able to make their exams on time to their destination.

The annual exams in South Korea are critical in determining the young adults' futures; from everything to careers to marriage prospects.

According to the Education Ministry, South Korean parents spent 19 trillion won ($17.5 billion) on extra tuition for their children last year - equivalent to about 1.5 percent of the national GDP, Business Insider reported.

Close

What's Hot