Archive · 12 Dec 2025
South Korea Exam Chief Resigns After English Test Backlash
The head of South Korea's exam authority, Oh Seung-keol, resigned because many students, parents, and teachers complained that the English test in a very important exam called the Suneung was too hard.
This exam is crucial for getting into good universities, which can affect future jobs and even marriage prospects.
Only 3% of students got the highest grade in English, which is the lowest since 2018.
Some questions were very tricky, like comparing famous philosophers or talking about time and video-game characters.
Even a professor who made up a word used in the test was surprised it was included.
The exam is so important that flights are stopped during the listening part to keep it quiet.
The exam authority also apologized, saying the test was too hard and caused stress for the students.
Oh Seung-keol, head of the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, resigned due to widespread complaints about the difficulty of the English test in the Suneung exam.
Only about 3% of students achieved the highest grade in English, the lowest since absolute grading began in 2018.
The English test included challenging questions comparing philosophers and discussing abstract concepts like time and video-game characters.
The test also featured the obscure word 'culturtainment,' which even its creator found surprising to see in the exam.
The exam authority apologized, acknowledging that the test did not meet the appropriate level of difficulty and caused confusion.
- Who
- Oh Seung-keol, head of the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation
- What
- Resignation due to complaints about the difficulty of the English test in the Suneung exam
- When
- After the 2023 Suneung exam
- Where
- South Korea
- Why
- The English test was deemed too difficult, with only 3% of students achieving the highest grade
- Exam Name
- Suneung
- Highest Grade Achievers
- 3%
- Test Duration
- 70 minutes
- Number of Questions
- 45
- Resigned Official
- Oh Seung-keol
- Controversial Word
- Culturtainment
- Exam Authority
- Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation