Flight takeoffs, landings to be suspended for noise control during college entrance exam

The government said Tuesday all aircraft takeoffs and landings across South Korea will be temporarily prohibited to keep noise down during this year's annual College Scholastic Ability Test later this week.

According to the transportation ministry, aircraft takeoffs and landings will be restricted for 35 minutes between 1:05 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. on Thursday when the English listening evaluation portion of the national college entrance exam will be taken.

The measure is aimed at preventing aircraft noise during the exam. All aircraft in flight, excluding those in emergency situations, must remain in the air at an altitude of 3 kilometers or higher under the control of air traffic control authorities.

The operating schedules of 156 flights will be adjusted in advance to avoid the timeframe. Airlines will provide advance notices of the change to passengers with reservations, according to the ministry.

The CSAT, held on the third Thursday of November every year, is one of the nation's most important academic events, as it is the culmination of years of hard work for many students anxious to enter top universities. (Yonhap)