Memorizing Korea's Tragic May: 5.18 Democratization Movement

I read a book, which was recommended by RM from BTS, whom I greatly admire. When I first picked up this novel, recommended by a friend, I knew it would be no ordinary read. As I flipped through the pages, I felt a mixture of anticipation and hesitation. It was a profound and challenging narrative, one that compelled me to write this heartfelt review.   This book is about  This remarkable book delves into the events of the 5.18 Democratization Movement, shedding light on a significant period in history. Every word, every sentence evoked a sense of pain and anguish. It is not a book to be read casually, but one that demands to be embraced fully. The events of May 18, 1980, unfolded when students gathered at the main gate of Jeonnam National University in Gwang-ju, Korea. On May 27, 1980, martial law troops indiscriminately attacked the citizens gathered at Jeonnam Provincial Office, bringing a tragic end to the situation. Over the course of ten days, the official casualties ...

🇰🇷 Suneung Shocker 2026: Why Korea's Toughest Exam Had Students Bolting from the Hall

Hey, I am an AI literacy instructor here in the South Korea. Let me talk about the single most stressful day in a Korean student’s life: the Suneung, officially the College Scholastic Ability Test. The 2026 exam just happened(November 13th, 2025), and it was quite a monster.

 

The 2026 Suneung: A Test of Endurance  
The general buzz is that Korean Language, Math, and Social Studies were brutal. The pressure was so intense that some students were actually witnessed leaving the exam hall even in the first class, unable to cope with the stress and difficulty. Whew! 


 

Giving students chocolate or other sweets is a common pre-Suneung tradition in Korea to wish them success and cheer them on.


Suneung, Is Your Entire Future?

It does not just matter – it is regarded to determine a student’s lifelong trajectory.

Korea is the most educated country in the world. 71% of young adults (aged 25-34) hold a tertiary education degree – the highest rate among OECD nations. The desire for a diploma, especially from a top university like the famous ‘SKY’ school (Seoul National, Korea, and Yonsei Universities), is an all-consuming cultural obsession. Sad. I know. 

  

The Early Commitment Trap

Students are pushed to choose their university major incredibly early - sometimes as young as 15, officially around age 17 ( High school grade 1). With almost zero practical experience, and based on the decision solely on academic grades.

'Blood, Sweat, and Tears' Aftermath

The result is heartbreak. Students enter their dream university, only to realize that the major does not fit to them. This leads to years of agonizing 'blood, sweat, and tears' as they either attempt to switch majors or, worse, restart the Suneung nightmare as an N-susaeng(the person who prepares Suneung for noncountable times). Oh, no. 


On the day of the Suneung, South Korea temporarily adjusts the start time for many public services and workplaces, including banks, the stock market, the foreign exchange market, and many general companies, delaying their opening from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM.


The White-Collar Dream

Landing a job at a prestigious Chaebol (large conglomerate) is regarded as a key success, and manual labor is stigmatized. So a top university degree is the essential in Seoul or the surrounding area.

The Vicious Cycle

Once they enter university, many graduates face another wall: the job market is brutal. The employment rate for highly educated young Koreans is still lower than the OECD average, because companies demand experienced hires, flexible thinkers, and people who can compete with AI - not just book smarts. Students spent years sitting, studying, and now they lack the real-world know-how companies want. Such a big mismatching. 

High Schooller's Schedule
High school ends around 4 or 5 PM, but the day is far away. Students head straight to Hagwons (private cram schools), often until 10 PM or even longer, then to study cafe, which is open for 24 hours. Hagwon routine starts in elementary school for core subjects like English and Math.

Parents' Blood, Sweat, and Tears

The cost isn't cheap. Private education spending in Korea hit a record high of 29.2 trillion won in 2024 (about $20.1 billion USD). The average family is spending hundreds of thousands of won per child every month. For high-income households, the monthly expenditure per child can be three times higher than for lower-income families - it’s a massive barrier to equality.

Repeaters (N-susaeng)

If you don't make it to your target university you try again. And again. The term 'N-susaeng' refers to high school graduates who retake the Suneung (Jaesu is the first retry). For the 2026 exam, the number of N-susaeng was substantial (around 182,000 test takers), parents bear the financial burden for another year of study.

The Heartbreaking Cost: The Highest Suicide Rate
I feel bad to mention this but South Korea holds the highest suicide rate among OECD countries. Suicide is the main cause of death for young people aged 10 through 39. While the causes are complex, but the academic stress is cited as a major factor in adolescent suicides.
Yes, everyone agrees this system must change, yet the consensus on how to change it has stalled for decades. The culture is shifting among the younger generations, but very slowly.


a poster wishing for a good luck


The AI Passage That Signifies Change
For me, the appearance of the difficult AI passage in the Critical Reading (Dokseo) in the Korea Language Section is a sign. It wasn't just about reading words; it was about advanced logical reasoning to apply complex concepts like 'Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning' and confidence models.


The future won't just require a degree; it will demand a fundamental understanding of technology and strong critical thinking skills. We need a society that values diverse experience and competency over a single exam score.

A Call for Systemic Change
This brings me to my final, and most heartfelt, point as a parent and an instructor. 

The necessity of logical thinking and deep textual analysis isn't a new concept; every teacher, parent, and student knows it. But here is the brutal reality: students are simply tasked with memorizing too much content. When the curriculum demands such vast mechanical recall, how can we expect anything but an imitation of true analytical and critical thought?

I know how hard the teachers, parents, and students themselves are fighting this. As I write this, my heart aches for the students. I feel an apology to them for this impossible system. We are asking individuals to be superhuman when the system itself is broken.

It is beyond the capacity of individuals to fix. We must stop individualizing the struggle. We, as a society, must demand that the government and the education system change. We owe it to the next generation.

To all the students who just took the Suneung: You've completed one of the toughest academic rites of passage in the world. Now, please take a well-deserved break. You've earned it!

Last week, full with maple leaves in my town