Meet The 82-Year-Old Korean Grandmother Who Took The CSAT This Year With A Purpose
On November 16, students in Korea took the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) in hopes of getting into their dream college.
Often called the “most important exam of a student’s life,” the CSAT is a yearly college entrance exam on the third Thursday of every November. This test determines which college students get into, making it a big event for the students and the country. Aircraft takeoffs, landings, and even work hours are adjusted to not distract students on their way to the exam.
This year, 504,588 people registered to take the 2024 CSAT. 64.7% were high school seniors, and 31.7% were high school graduates. Among the 504,588, the oldest person to take the CSAT was Kim Jeong Ja, an 82-year-old grandmother.
Kim Jeong Ja was born in Japan in 1941 and moved to Korea after the country was liberated from Japanese colonial rule. She was unable to get an education as the Korean War happened in 1950, and she felt the need to study after raising her three children.
Four years ago, Kim Jeong Ja appeared on Yoo Jae Suk’s tvN program You Quiz on the Block and moved the public’s heart with her passion for education. She was attending school then, hoping to take the CSAT one day. Now, she had accomplished that.
On the December 13 episode of You Quiz on the Block, Kim Jeong Ja came out as a guest again to give an update on her life and studies.
First, she impressed everyone by introducing herself in English.
Yoo Jae Suk and co-host Jo Se Ho congratulated her for completing the CSAT, and Kim Jeong Ja showed off her test identification slip.
She shared that she prayed for all the students before taking the test.
I took the test thinking about all the young people. I prayed often, ‘Today is the day of destiny for these young people, and I hope all the students do well on the test, get into the college of their dreams, and get a good job, and become reliable workers of this country.
— Kim Jeong Ja
Although her back hurt from taking the eight-hour test, which was not easy, she did it with a positive attitude.
The questions were challenging, as it’s a test designed for the younger generation. Even if you’re a top student, it’s a difficult study… I couldn’t solve the questions as much as I studied for it, but I did it feeling good. I might have gotten them wrong, but I solved them feeling good!
— Kim Jeong Ja
She emphasized that whether she attends college or not, the fact that she took the CSAT is “the biggest event of [her] life.” Therefore, she was able to take the test happily.
Furthermore, Kim Jeong Ja confessed that the university she wanted to attend the most was Sookmyung Women’s University, specifically the Department of English Language and Literature.
I want to go to that school so much even if I die. There’s a special reason. My grranddaughter recently graduated [from Sookmyung Women’s University], and she boasted that her school is the best, so I want to go to that school, too.
— Kim Jeong Ja
The results for the 2024 CSAT were released on December 8, and Kim Jeong Ja shared her thoughts about it and her new goals.
Looking at the my scores, I did better than I expected. However, it might be hard for me to get into Sookmyung Women University’s English Literature program. So, I will instead apply to the Social Welfare Department of the Lifelong Education Institute at Sookmyung Women’s University.
— Kim Jeong Ja
Kim Jeong Ja shared that when she goes to university, she wants to study one thing: English. She explained that she wanted to learn English because of the language barrier with her grandkids, who live in the U.S. and don’t speak Korean. She wants to focus on English to communicate with them.
She impressed the public by revealing that she was never absent or late to class in her six years of school. Also, she would take the subway and arrive at school two hours before school started to practice her typing skills on the computer.
Kim Jeong Ja inspires everyone, showing that age does not limit anyone from fulfilling their dream and that it’s never too late to learn.
I don’t think I’ll put my pencil down until I die.
— Kim Jeong Ja
May she accomplish her academic goals at her dream university!
