Insiders expose flaws in Korea’s college entrance exam

There is a test that is simultaneously praised as “the world’s most perfect multiple-choice exam” and criticized as “the main culprit for ruining classroom instruction.” It is the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), known locally as Suneung. Launched in 1993 to move Korean education away from rote learning, the CSAT is now facing growing calls for a major overhaul in the era of artificial intelligence. Critics argue that the 33-year-old exam has completely lost its way after a series of patchwork fixes aimed at addressing excessive academic pressure, entrenched university hierarchies and soaring private education costs. The Hankook Ilbo conducted an in-depth investigation into the crisis triggered by last year’s controversial “Bul-suneung,” or “fire test,” which drew widespread criticism for its extreme difficulty. Based on interviews with twelve key insiders — including former institute presidents and CSAT question writers — the report examines how the long-standing exam must evolve. “The original plan was to hold the exam six times a year. If a student scored over 250

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