An F-16 Fighting Falcon taxis after landing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, April 21, 2025. (Karissa Dick/U.S. Air Force)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Military and civilian flights across South Korea will be grounded for 35 minutes Thursday as students take the English listening portion of the nation’s high-stakes university entrance exam.

All takeoffs and landings will pause from 1:05 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. during the College Scholastic Ability Test, or CSAT, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday in a news release.

Only emergency flights will be allowed to operate, and aircraft already in the air must maintain a minimum altitude of about 1 ½ miles until the suspension is lifted, according to the ministry.

A total of 140 flights — 65 domestic and 75 international — have been rescheduled because of the exam.

“For those flying on the CSAT day, please make sure to check your departure time, and cooperate with the noise restrictions,” Joo Jong-wan, director general for aviation policy at the ministry, said in the release.

Military aircraft, including those operated by U.S. Forces Korea, will also be grounded per tradition, a South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokeswoman told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday.

Day-to-day military operations are adjusted annually for the exam, which is considered one of the most critical milestones for South Korean students. Additional restrictions will apply to training exercises, vehicle movements and base broadcasts near exam sites.

South Korean service members may report to work after 10 a.m. to ease traffic, and parents of students taking the exam are given the day off, according to the ministry.

Other nationwide accommodations include expanded subway schedules, shuttle service for late students and delayed openings of Korean stock exchanges to help reduce congestion, the Korea Herald reported Tuesday.