@samuelszuchan: It's 10:14 on a Tuesday night in Daechi-dong, Seoul. The intersection is jammed with idling minivans. A glass door opens and roughly two hundred middle schoolers spill onto the sidewalk, faces blank. They climb in without speaking. By 10:30, the block is empty. This repeats six nights a week. Behind it is a $20 billion private education market. A single subject at one academy costs about $810 a month. The boarding cram schools at the top run 6 a.m. to midnight, six days a week. Phones confiscated. Outside contact restricted to weekly calls. All of this feeds one test: the suneung. One in five students sitting for it in any given year has already taken it before and come back for another full year of preparation. Roughly one percent will score high enough for the three SKY universities that hold 46.3 percent of high government officials. South Korean students consistently report the highest academic stress among OECD nations. About one in three middle and high schoolers report suicidal ideation linked to academic pressure. The number of young people aged 19 to 34 who stopped looking for work entirely hit a record in early 2026, with about 65 percent of them holding a college degree. There is no defection, because stepping outside means abandoning the only map anyone has for what success looks like, while everyone else keeps using it.

주최자 :

As a Korean, I can say this is incorrect. The Korean CSAT (Suneung) is no longer as decisive as many people think. Due to the university admissions system, high school grades (GPA) and attendance are often considered more important. Also, Samsung does not hire through a single company-wide process. Different affiliates—such as Samsung Electronics (DX/DS), Samsung SDS, Samsung C&T, Samsung Biologics, Samsung Life Insurance, and Samsung Heavy Industries recruit separately for different positions. While educational background can have some influence, your major is often more important. In addition, applicants must pass Samsung’s own GSAT(삼성직무적성검사) aptitude test and other hiring assessments.

Leo non esiste :

bad system

pR pR :

that is so obviously a bad system, salary should be determined by performance and really nothing else

Nomi :

This is dystopian and disturbing

David Muhindo :

so you can get a job at Samsung but your salary depends on a test when you were 18?😳

🕷️𝐊𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧✝️ :

Gaokao laughs

Em :

You should make a video about how your salary decreases after age 50 to somewhat force you into retirement too.

sh17 :

Current Samsung electronics employee in Korea right now in Suwon… yeah, a lot of inaccuracies in this video…

Tony Branco 🇵🇹 🇨🇦 :

I would not want my children living in South Korea. That is completely insane. The stress on children in that country is unbelievable. This must be stopped by a human rights organization.

Nation Bants :

That’s why Apple is better

🫃 :

Joseph :

This is telling and so different

Asif 🇷🇴 :

Some countries have terrible systems

sethsu :

this stressed me, but then I realized I don't live in Korea

Eric🇵🇸 :

Damn I never went to college and almost certainly make more than most Samsung employees. It would suck not to be recognized for your ability to do the job

aliashd11 :

Have people not heard of Harvard? … perhaps less intense, but our system is not that different

Hihai :

too many are pushed to be academically gifted, its not possible, its like telling a bunch of average kids their life will be good if they can become professional basketball players. its unrealistic and leaves so many disillusioned and depressed.

atpper :

I know a lot of classmates that were stellar at school and taking tests, but crumbled hard when they entered the work force at a real job. exams should be used as a cutoff tool for applicants to get a shot

hero :

average salary in SK is like 30 000 dollar before tax so why did they go to university for?

Canny Possum :

The more I learn about SK the more I am happy I am from there.

vkei enjoyer 9000 :

sounds alot like Portugal, except we do like three of those national exams and if you don't pass at all, you don't even graduate highschool. You wait one whole year to retry

JH :

capitalist

john m :

so they don't get raises?

Dean1996 :

@Jo_Cairs