South Korea's high-pressure college entrance exam, the Suneung, just faced a major controversy. A group of students are suing the government after the exam ended 90 seconds early, potentially costing them their dream schools and careers.

This grueling eight-hour marathon, with subjects back-to-back, holds immense weight in South Korea. It determines university placements, jobs, and even relationships. The pressure is so intense that the country takes extreme measures like closing airspace and delaying stock markets to ensure student focus.

The lawsuit, filed by at least 39 students, claims the bell rang early at a test site in Seoul during the first subject, Korean. Despite protests, supervisors collected papers. Teachers acknowledged the mistake later but only offered students 1.5 minutes during lunch break to fill in blank columns, not change existing answers.

Frustrated and distracted, some students reportedly gave up and went home. Lawyer Kim Woo-suk says education authorities haven't apologized. The government blames a supervisor who misread the time.

This isn't the first time. In 2021, students received compensation for a two-minute early bell. In China, a similar blunder earned a man a suspended sentence.

The lawsuit highlights the immense pressure South Korean students face and the potential consequences of even minor exam disruptions. With stakes this high, every second counts.