학교 · Area of life

School

Seniors and juniors, the exam that stops a country, hagwon nights and campus life.

Seniors & juniors

The stone main hall of a Korean university with a clock tower and a statue in front

선배 후배

선배 and 후배: the Korean school-year hierarchy that lasts for life

Why a 25-year-old can be a 20-year-old's junior, what '몇 학번이세요?' really asks, who buys lunch, what juniors owe in return, how the senior-junior bond follows Koreans into offices and alumni networks, and how a new generation is quietly rewriting the rules.

Exams & suneung

Rows of empty desks in a quiet Korean lecture hall

수능

Suneung day: the exam that stops a country

What Korea's university entrance exam (수능) is, why offices and the stock market open late, why planes stop landing during the English listening test, police escorts, gate cheering, 100-day prayers, the strict rules, the 2026 date, and how to behave if you live in Korea.

Big ideas in this area

나이Age & hierarchy 눈치Nunchi 우리Uri 정Jeong 효Hyo