Top Exam Organizer Quits Over Tough Suneung English Test

The head of South Korea's Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation has stepped down due to the excessive difficulty of the English portion of the national Suneung college entrance exam. This decision follows significant student and parental outcry over a test where exceptionally few achieved top scores, marking the lowest rate since 2018. The exam's demanding nature, including questions on political philosophy and abstract concepts, has intensified concerns about academic pressure.

Oh Seung-keol expressed deep responsibility for the English test's failure to align with absolute evaluation principles and apologized for causing distress and confusion. The agency acknowledged criticism that the test's difficulty was inappropriate and counterproductive to reducing academic burdens. This incident highlights the intense competition within South Korea's education system, which is known to contribute to high rates of teenage depression and suicide.

The controversy surrounding the Suneung, a vital exam for university admissions and social mobility, has led to broader discussions on educational policies. Recently, a law was passed to ban private institutes from administering entrance tests to preschoolers. The scrutiny on test scores remains intense, as evidenced by the media attention given to a student's admission to Seoul National University with only one missed question.