By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

A 68-year-old woman, identified as Cha and living in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, failed her driving test for the 771st time Monday, but, undeterred is applying for her 772nd attempt.

Cha made her first attempt to get a driver's license April 13, 2005, however, she failed the written exam and has since kept on failing.

Applicants can obtain a license after passing a written exam and then a practical driving test.

Cha has taken the written exam almost every day at the Driver's License Agency in the province, except for weekends and holidays. She obtained scores of 30 to 50 every time, below the 60 necessary to pass.

The agency said her number of failed attempts is a record-breaking number.

Cha, who sells living necessities door to door at apartment complexes, carrying the items in her handcart, thought she needed to drive for her job and began to apply for the license.

The agency estimates that she has spent more than four million won ($3,000) in exam fees ― 6,000 won each time ― and total costs, including expenses for traffic and food, may have reached 10 million won.

``I feel sorry every time I see Cha fail. When she passes, I'll make a memorial tablet myself and give it to her,'' said Park Jung-seok, a traffic police officer at the agency.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr