Seoul: A Seoul court on Thursday ordered the state to compensate students up to 3 million won (US$2,047) each after a teacher rang the final bell 1 1/2 minutes early during the 2023 college entrance exam. The incident occurred during the Korean language portion of the College Scholastic Ability Test at Seoul's Kyungdong High School in November 2023.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a group of 43 students filed a lawsuit seeking compensation of 20 million won each, arguing that the early ringing of the bell put them at a disadvantage in the test. The Seoul Central District Court ruled partially in favor of the students, ordering the government to compensate each student between 1 million won and 3 million won. The court acknowledged the emotional distress experienced by the students due to the importance of the exam.
The students' legal representative announced plans to appeal the decision, citing the compensation amount as insufficient.