S. Korean students take all-important college entrance exam

SEOUL - South Korean students took an annual college entrance exam on Thursday, seen as an all-important test in the education-obsessed society.

The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which started from 8:40 am local time, would run through 5:40 pm at 1,185 test sites nationwide, according to the education ministry.

A total of 548,734 high school students and graduates registered to take the nine-hour exam this year, down 46,190 from the previous year.

It was the lowest number of applicants in 27 years amid the low birth rate that led to the continued fall in teenagers of school age.

The college entrance exam is believed here to determine students' course of life and future professions in a South Korean society where graduating from a prestigious university is crucial to obtaining a successful job.

The government took measures to control traffic and reschedule the morning rush hour to help students arrive on time at the test sites.