Every November, South Korea comes to a standstill for its infamous college entrance exam.
Shops are shut, flights are delayed to reduce noise, and even the rhythm of the morning commute slows down for the students.
By late afternoon, most test-takers walk out of school gates, exhaling with relief and embracing the family members waiting outside.
But not everyone finishes at that hour. Even once darkness has fully settled and night has set in, some students are still in the exam room - finishing close to 10pm.
They are the blind students, who often spend more than 12 hours taking the longest version of the Suneung.
On Thursday, more than 550,000 students across the country will sit for the Suneung - an abbreviation for College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) in Korean. It is the highest number of applicants in seven years.
The test not only dictates whether people will be able to go to university, but can affect their job prospects, income, where they will live and even future relationships.
Typically, students answer roughly 200 questions across multiple subjects including Korean, mathematics, English, and others. For most students, it is an eight-hour marathon of back-to-back exams, beginning at 08:40 and concluding around 17:40.
Blind students, however, are afforded 1.7 times the standard testing duration, pushing their examination time to as late as 21:48 without any breaks.
The physical bulk of the braille test papers adds to this lengthy ordeal, as test booklets can be significantly thicker due to the adaptation from standard print.
At Seoul Hanbit School for the Blind, 18-year-old Han Donghyun, along with other students, prepares to tackle the Suneung after managing extensive study sessions with unique learning tools.
While the physical and mental exertion is immense, Han expresses determination in facing this marathon of an exam.
The challenges are compounded by a lack of accessible study materials. Popular textbooks and online lectures, often rife with visual content, are limited in their formats for blind students.
Receiving braille versions of necessary materials, particularly state-produced EBS preparation books, also comes with delays, putting blind students at a disadvantage compared to their sighted peers.
As Han and his fellow students gear up for the Suneung, they exemplify resilience and dedication, reaffirming their ambition in navigating the intense demands of this rite of passage in South Korea.
