Korea′s college entrance exam ends， and now the waiting begins 수능시험 종료

It was the moment of truth for over 630－thousand students throughout the nation. The college entrance exam， also known as the suneung，... is something that could have lasting repercussions on the students for the rest of their lives. Let′s connect to Kwon Jang－Ho， who is at one of the test sites. Jang－ho， tell us what you′ve been seeing since the exams ended？ Good evening， Daniel. Well， behind me is Seoul High School. The exams finished about a couple of hours ago， and the test－takers have all gone home now. I saw a wide variety of emotions on people′s faces， some look relieved and happy， while others unfortunately looked tired and sullen. This exam day is one of the most important moments in a young person′s life. Students spend years preparing for these exams， and then it′s all over in one day. There′s a huge amount of pressure，... as the results can determine which university a student will attend， and potentially what job and future they′ll have. I spoke to one of the parents earlier to ask how he felt about the system. ″The whole of a student′s life hangs in the balance of how you feel on one day. I went through it as well， but I don′t necessarily think it′s a good system. I hope a better system can be introduced in the future， but for now I guess there′s nothing they can do but do well on this day.″ Koreans learn to deal with the pressure early. But a little extra support could make the day easier. What′s being done now？ Well， on test day， there are a lot of things that happen in an effort to help the students. Most businesses start an hour later than usual， to try and ease the morning rush hour traffic. More buses and subway trains are in service， and even more taxis are deployed. The police also give lifts in police cars or on police bikes to any students who find themselves running late. Junior high school students， who are not yet taking the exams， also try to do their part by cheering on the seniors as they come onto the school grounds in the morning. They sing songs and give out snacks and energy bars， along with final words of encouragement. I met with one group of juniors who had camped out in front of the school since 9 p.m. last night， so they could reserve the best spot to give their support to their senior school mates. Many of them do this， as they know they themselves will have to take the exam in the next couple of years， and when it′s their turn，... they will be hoping for some positive energy as they walk in to face one of the most important moments of their lives. Daniel？ Thank you， Jang－ho. Well， we wish those test－takers all the best.