Court Orders Compensation for Students Affected by Early Bell During Exam

In a significant ruling, the Seoul Central District Court has ordered the South Korean government to compensate students who suffered due to an early bell during the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) at Kyungdong High School. On March 27, the court ruled in favor of 43 students who filed a lawsuit against the state, awarding two students 1 million won each and the remaining students 3 million won each.

The incident occurred on November 16, 2023, during the first section of the CSAT, when the bell rang one minute early, causing mental distress among the students. It was reported that the teacher responsible for ringing the bell mistakenly ended the exam early while checking the time on a mobile device. The students initially sought 20 million won each, totaling 860 million won, claiming this amount represented the cost of a year of retaking the exam.

While the court acknowledged the students' mental anguish, it awarded significantly less than what was requested. The judges noted that the early bell's impact was limited, as the students were later given an additional 30 seconds to complete their answers. Two students received lower compensation due to their use of the extra time to mark previously unanswered questions after the second section of the math exam.

Following the verdict, the students' legal representative, Kim Woo-seok, expressed disappointment, stating, "I cannot understand how such a mistake could happen in 21st century South Korea. Given the recurrence of bell-related incidents, this ruling is hard to accept. We will appeal to seek a fair judgment in the higher court."