Korean parents, students turn to Buddha, Jesus and K-pop stars ahead of critical college entrance exam

Home > National > Social Affairs

Korean parents, students turn to Buddha, Jesus and K-pop stars ahead of critical college entrance exam

Published: 12 Nov. 2024, 15:25 Updated: 12 Nov. 2024, 19:02

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

People pray at the Bomun Temple on Ganghwa Island, Incheon, on Monday. [LEE CHAN-KYU]

The college entrance exam season is here, and parents and students are resorting to everything from praying at temples and churches to idolizing K-pop stars and even star lecturers for better luck.

On Thursday, some 520,000 students are set to take the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), an annual state-administered college entrance exam widely perceived to determine the future of its young takers.

As of Sunday, Bomun Temple on Ganghwa Island, Incheon, had received 863 applications for its 100-day prayer service for the CSAT, a significant increase compared to 737 applications in 2022 and 666 last year. Located on the island's Mount Nakga, the temple is a popular destination for parents nationwide who come to offer prayers before the exam.

On Monday, Jo Gyeong-ae, a 57-year-old with a child in their last year of high school, visited the Rock-carved Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva at Bomun Temple for the seventh consecutive day.

Jo climbs the mountain for about 20 to 30 minutes daily to attend the 100-day prayer session at 2 p.m. to earn a bit of metaphysical help to get her son into college. Climbing the 419 steps and praying with one's utmost sincerity yields better results, she said.

From 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. this day, around 100 people visited the Rock-carved Avalokitesvara. About 30 were parents of test-takers. They bowed before the statue or attached coins nearby as they made their wishes.

Yun Jong-hyun, 52, and his wife Park Hee-yeon, 51, lit white candles with phrases like “CSAT Success” and “Early Decision Admission” written on them. They said they took vacation days from work to pray.

“Unlike in the past, more parents are visiting even on weekdays,” said a Bomun Temple official. “On the test day, the crowd is so large that there’s hardly room to stand.”

People pray at the Kwanglim Church in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday. [LEE CHAN-KYU]

Many parents also visited churches ahead of this year's CSAT.

At 7:30 p.m. on Monday, 50 believers gathered at Kwanglim Church in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, for a 40-day CSAT prayer session. The parents sang hymns and recited prayers with their heads bowed.

“With so many students repeating the exam, I’m worried about my son,” said 51-year-old Choi, adding that since the first day of the 40-day prayer session, they hadn’t missed a single day. “If it means my son will get a good score on the exam, this is nothing.”

A person prays to the Virgin Mary statue at Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on Monday. [LEE SU-MIN]

About 50 parents gathered at a Catholic church in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on Monday for the 100-day prayer session, despite Monday being a day off for clergy at many Catholic churches. They had prayed for 50 minutes daily since the 100-day countdown for the exam began.

Holding a “100-day Prayer for Test-Takers” booklet, Choi Jeong-yoon, 47, said it was "a comforting time" for her, adding that rather than pushing her child for worldly success, they reflected on what it means to be a mature parent.

“Just four or five people gathered in a small room to pray for the CSAT 40 or 50 years ago,” said a Kwanglim Church representative. “But the number of participants has increased each year.”

Photocards of instructor Lee Ji-young [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Pop culture also plays a role in students’ hopes for exam success.

Generation Z test-takers often carry lucky charms based on their personal preferences, with photocards being particularly popular. Some students take a photocard — a collectible image akin to baseball cards — of actor Cha Eun-woo, a Sungkyunkwan University alum, as an icon to gain acceptance into the same university.

Others use photocards of celebrity lecturers to bring them luck.

“Thanks to Instructor Lee Ji-young’s lessons, I improved significantly in social studies, which was my weakest subject,” said Yang, an 18-year-old senior, adding that she plans to carry a photocard of Lee into the exam hall to keep up the academic momentum.

Some students attach key chains symbolizing their target universities to their bags or place university logos on their study materials.

“I got three key chains representing my preferred universities through friends, one for each application I submitted," said Kim, 19, who is retaking the exam this year. "I hope to get better results and gain admission to my dream school this year.”

Number of CSAT test-takers [KOREA INSTITUTE FOR CURRICULUM AND EVALUATION]

Experts attribute the reliance on symbolic items to anxiety fueled by a competitive society. Although the school-age population is decreasing yearly, the number of test-takers is rising due to the rising trend of retaking the exam, with an increase in applicants for medical schools.

This year, 522,670 students will take the exam, up by 18,082 from last year.

“While the school-age population is decreasing, more students are choosing to retake the test to get into prestigious universities, thus intensifying competition,” said Lim Myung-ho, a psychology professor at Dankook University. “Anxiety driven by issues such as a widening economic disparity also leads people to religious sites.”

“People are turning to various sources for comfort,” said Heo Chang-deok, a sociology professor at Yeungnam University. “Parents lean on familiar religious practices, while the younger generation relies on familiar cultural elements.”

BY LEE CHAN-KYU, LEE SU-MIN, KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]