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Busan education office, police prepare for bomb threats on day of CSAT

Published: 12 Nov. 2025, 15:44 Updated: 12 Nov. 2025, 18:37

Police officers hand out hand warmers to third-year students during a ceremony to distribute test identification slips at Eunpyeong High School in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, on Nov. 12, a day before the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test. [NEWS1]

As bomb threats targeting schools have spread nationwide, education authorities and police are ramping up security measures to respond swiftly to any similar incidents on the day of Korea's college entrance exam, known as the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education said it will immediately notify the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency and activate a joint response system if any bomb threat is reported at a test site for the 2026 CSAT, according to Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.

Under the new protocol, the education office's situation room and police will jointly assess the level of risk before deciding whether to suspend the test and evacuate students.

If the threat is deemed low or negligible, the test will proceed as planned. However, if the risk is assessed as moderate or higher, the test will be halted immediately, and all test-takers will be evacuated. Police will then conduct an on-site search for potential explosives.

To enhance security, education officials and police restricted the flow of arriving test-takers and closed unnecessary entry points on Tuesday, a day before the exam.

Police have also warned education authorities about a recent rise in hoaxes involving people impersonating Japanese lawyers.

While false bomb threats had subsided last year, they have surged again since August. According to data submitted to the National Assembly, 99 bomb threats were reported as of Oct. 14, with more than a third — 36 cases — targeting schools.

In response to such crimes, the government introduced a new public threat offense in March: Offenders can now face up to five years in prison or fines of up to 20 million won ($13,600), and repeat offenders may be sentenced to as much as seven years and six months in prison or fined up to 30 million won.

“We will operate an immediate response system on the day of the CSAT to ensure the safety of all students,” said an official from the Busan education office, adding that “any threats will be dealt with firmly in cooperation with the police.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]