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South Korea dialled down the volume on Thursday as more than half a million students sat a crucial national university entrance exam, with experts taking extraordinary measures to minimize possible distractions.
The college entrance is the culmination of South Korea's highly demanding school system.
In an ultra-competitive society the rite of passage plays a large part in defining students' adult lives, holding the key to top universities, elevated social status, good jobs, and even marriage prospects.
South Korean President Jae-in Posted on Facebook page.
The intense effort they had in over the years of study was fruition, he said. "Believe in it and you will be able to show your full competence."
595,000 students were sitting grueling this year, known as "suneung" and stretching over nine hours.
Young students crowded schools from early morning ahead of the test, singing and waving colorful banners with urging messages: "Do not mess up!"
At Ewha Girls' Foreign Language High School in central Seoul, Jung Ho-yun said: "Their lives depend on this exam, so it's very important."
The test takers briskly, one by one, looking anxious and flustered.
"I can not believe this is actually happening," said Choi Eun-hee. "I just really hope I do not make any mistakes."
Wiping away tears, parents gave their children long hugs, before they went to temples and churches to pray for their sons and daughters' success.
Extraordinary measures are taken nationwide to remove anything that could disturb the test-takers.
Public offices, major businesses and the stock market open for business, which began at 8:40 am.
Any students can get in touch with them.
All takeoffs and landings at South Korean airports are suspended for 25 minutes to an English listening test, and all airborne planes must maintain an altitude higher than 3,000 meters (10,000 feet).
The Transport Ministry said 134 flights had to be rescheduled because of the exam.
Electronic devices are strictly forbidden and can not fail to reduce the chances of cheating.
But they were allowed to wear masks during this year, the education ministry said, with fine dust pollution persisting at "bad" on the peninsula.
The college entrance test is the culmination of South Korea's highly demanding school system, and in an ultra-competitive society it plays a large part in defining students' adult lives
