[The Editors' Verdict] Happiness Is Still Not Based on Grades

The movie “Happiness Is Not Based on Grades,” which is more famous for its title than its content, was released in 1989. Directed by Kang Woo-seok and starring actors Kim Bo-sung and Lee Mi-yeon, the film depicts the life of teenagers struggling with entrance exam issues. Many works have portrayed the lives of teens troubled by entrance exams, but why has this particular movie left such a lasting impression?

Even though it is a work from 35 years ago, it does not feel unfamiliar because of the philosophy of life embedded in its title. For those in their late teens, entrance exams can feel like the entire world. Some even believe that once they pass through the tunnel of exams, they will never face another test in life. Years of running toward that exam day?365 days a year, 24 hours a day?fill the record of their teenage years, which should be filled with dreams and hopes, with a repetitive cycle of competition, frustration, and pressure.

Some believe that a single number formed one day determines the coordinates of their life. Regarding university entrance exam results, some feel proud for life, while others live a diminished life. Such realities lead to many problems. The harms of private education that our society faces, as well as the real estate frenzy, are ultimately connected to entrance exam issues. The problem of the birth rate, which ranks among the lowest in the world, is no different.

According to Statistics Korea, the total private education expenses for elementary, middle, and high school students last year reached 27.1 trillion won. The average monthly cost per student who experienced private education was 553,000 won. The reality is even more severe than the statistics suggest. In Daechi-dong or Mok-dong in Seoul, known as the epitomes of private education, it is not surprising for parents to spend 2 to 3 million won per student each month. It is no longer a secret that a significant portion of the income of parents with exam-preparing children is poured into private education. It may be natural that the younger generation, who grew up observing the lives of parents with children, hesitate to have kids themselves.

On the 14th, the day of the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test, examinees are waiting for the exam to start at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The problem is that even if one invests as much effort as others in private education, it is still difficult to send their child to the desired university. The number of applicants who submitted their application for the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test held on the 14th reached 522,670. Among them, 161,784 were graduates. The number of so-called “repeat test-takers” is the highest in 21 years. The reason so many people are entering the college entrance exam second chance is the belief, or rather the certainty, that changing just the university’s name will change the quality of life. Entrance exam issues reflect many problems in our society. This is why it is difficult to solve the root causes of the problem just by changing the entrance exam system or implementing measures to curb private education expenses.

Though it may be a sorry story for examinees, even if they achieve the desired results in the entrance exam, it is hard to guarantee that life will unfold according to their wishes. After university entrance exams, they face numerous other tests, and their life direction can fluctuate greatly depending on those results.

Some may be discouraged by their exam results, but in the long voyage of life, this too is just a passing path. Nevertheless, everyone who shed sweat and tears preparing for this year’s CSAT deserves congratulations and encouragement regardless of the outcome. Simply experiencing the tunnel of hardship called entrance exams means their lives have grown a little more...