The legal action, announced by the law firm Myung Jin, seeks 20 million won per student for damages related to an early bell incident during the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – In a case highlighting the high-stakes nature of college entrance exams in South Korea, 39 students from Kyungdong High School in Seoul’s Seongbuk District have filed a lawsuit against the national education authorities.
The legal action, announced by the law firm Myung Jin, seeks 20 million won per student for damages related to an early bell incident during the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, on the day of the CSAT last month, the bell signaling the end of the first session, which covered Korean language, rang 90 seconds early.
This error was attributed to a teacher, identified only as Mr. A, who inadvertently clicked the mouse controlling the manual bell system. Kyungdong High School, like many others, opts for manual bell systems due to concerns about broadcasting errors.
Myung Jin’s statement criticized the education authorities for not apologizing or explaining the incident to the affected students even a month after the occurrence.
Further, it was alleged that Mr. A used a personal iPad, not an official Ministry of Education device, to track the time. It is believed that the iPad screen turning off led to the time-checking error.
The school, realizing the mistake, redistributed the Korean language exam papers to the students at the end of the second session, allowing them an additional 90 seconds to complete their answers. However, they were not permitted to make any changes to their already submitted answer sheets.
Students and parents have argued that the disruption affected their performance, with some students reportedly leaving the exam early. The additional time given during lunch break for the re-examination, they claim, also shortened their rest period, further impacting their performance in subsequent tests.
Myung Jin cited cases where students’ actual scores fell significantly below their mock exam results, indicating the impact of the incident. One student, who scored 73 out of 100 in the mock exams, only achieved 48 in the actual CSAT. Another dropped from a top-tier grade in the mock exams to a third-tier grade in the CSAT.
Attorney Kim Woo-suk, representing Myung Jin, criticized the Ministry of Education for not implementing specific guidelines to prevent such incidents, despite a similar occurrence three years prior at Deokwon Girls’ High School in Seoul’s Gangseo District.
In that instance, the bell rang about three minutes early during the fourth session of the CSAT. Affected students and parents sued for 8 million won per person, and a court eventually ordered the state to pay 7 million won each in April.
Kim argued for the need for concrete preventive measures and compensation for the students, including covering the cost of a year’s preparation for those who choose to retake the exam.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
