South Korean students file lawsuit after bell rang 90 seconds early during exam

The matter pertains to Korea's college admission test, known as “Suneung”, which is an eight-hour long exam with back-to-back papers in multiple subjects.

At least 39 South Korean students have sued the government alleging their college admission examination ended 90 seconds earlier than scheduled, reported BBC.A lawsuit on the matter has been filed by the group of students on Tuesday, demanding 20 million won (equivalent to $15,400) each. The monetary damages sought is the cost of a year's studying to retake the exam.

South Korean students wait to take the annual College Scholastic Ability Test, known locally as Suneung, at a school in Seoul (Representational picture)(AFP)

The matter pertains to Korea's college admission test, known as “Suneung”, which is an eight-hour long exam with back-to-back papers in multiple subjects. Notably, the exam is of great importance in the country as it influences university placements and jobs.

The students have alleged that the bell rang earlier than scheduled at a test centre in South Korea's capital Seoul. It happened during the Korean exam- the first subject of the exam. As per the report, some students raised the issue immediately with the supervisors but despite that, their papers were taken away.

Interestingly, the teachers realised the mistake about timing before the beginning of the next session. The teachers allowed the 90 seconds time to the students during lunch break but allowed only to mark blank columns left on the exam papers. Students were not permitted to change any existing answers.

Students have alleged they got so distracted and disappointed due to the matter that they couldn't focus on the rest of the exam. Reportedly, some students left the rest of the exam and returned home. The students' lawyer Kim Woo-suk claimed that education authorities had not apologised over the incident.

Meanwhile, officials have said that the supervisor in charge of the particular test site had misread the time. Earlier in April, a court in Seoul awarded 7 million won ($5,250) to students who alleged that the ball rang about two minutes early during the 2021 Suneung exam.