By Kang Seung-woo
The Seoul Metropolitan Government, district offices and state-run companies in the capital will start work an hour later than usual on Thursday, the day of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), to ensure that students will arrive at test venues on time.
Around 130,000 students will take the annual college entrance exam at 208 testing sites across Seoul, among 594,000 test-takers across the country. The national exam day is one of the most significant events in Korea as the results from the CSAT profoundly impact the futures of test-takers.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Monday, it has instructed its district offices and affiliates, along with central government-owned firms, to push their starting time back to 10 a.m. in order to reduce traffic congestion.
Many other cities across the country plan similar measures to readjust work hours at public organizations.
The nation's stock markets will start and close their trading hours an hour later as well, operating from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
In addition, to improve punctuality, 2,800 public servants and civilian volunteers will be dispatched to places close to test centers to escort students who arrive late to their venues. Even the police will offer lifts in their patrol cars and on motorbikes.
The local government also plans to take anti-noise measures near testing sites to block distractions during Korean and English listening tests.
It has already asked construction sites to control noise, while public transport vehicles were alerted to refrain from honking.
Plus, parking will be banned within 200 meters of test centers.
The city government has also increased the frequency of public transport.
The number of subway trains in operation will be increased by 28 during morning rush hour, with 16 reserve trains in case of mechanical problems.
The city's call taxi service for the disabled will be assigned in advance to assist disabled test-takers. An advance reservation is available now at 1588-4388 and even if those with disabilities fail to do so, they will be given preferential treatment if they request the service.
The Ministry of Education on Monday began distributing test papers to test sites nationwide. The papers will be kept at the main test center of each region until being sent to each test venue on Thursday morning.