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Four young Koreans protest the CSAT in front of the Seoul Finance Center by refusing to take it on Dec. 4. (Kim Myoung-jin)

South Korean students nationwide took the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the country’s universal entrance exam, on Dec. 3. However, a student movement has come forth to publicly reject the CSAT and university admission in protest of what they see as a vicious scholastic competition that reduces students and their humanity to mere test scores. The CSAT is the most important factor in determining a student’s university prospects. A good CSAT score often leads to admission into the country’s top universities, which in turn often leads to the most prestigious jobs. While their peers were busy taking this massively important exam, four young Koreans gathered in front of the Seoul Finance Center to protest what they see as an inhumane meritocracy. Their statement says, “Our lives are more important than the CSAT or university admission.”

By Kim Myoung-jin, staff photographer

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