Comedian Seo Kyung-seok opened up about the struggles he faced while preparing for the real estate agent exam.
In the May 18 episode of tvN STORY’s variety show ‘Namgyeoseo Mwohage’, Lee Young-ja and Park Se-ri met up with Seo Kyung-seok, a graduate of Seoul National University’s class of ’91. While dining at Sharosu-gil near the university, the three chatted about their school days and experiences preparing for exams. Seo currently holds a real estate agent license and has even achieved a perfect score on the Korean History Proficiency Test.
When Lee Young-ja mentioned, “I thought about challenging the real estate exam too, but it seemed so hard,” Seo replied, “I actually cried because studying was so difficult. I didn’t care if I went to Seoul National University; it was just too tough.” He explained that since five out of the six exam subjects are law-related, it felt like learning a foreign language for someone who didn’t major in law. He reflected on his journey, noting that he barely passed after two years of effort.
Seo also revealed how he became the first celebrity to score a perfect 100 on the Korean History Proficiency Test. He shared, “I got 79 points the first time, so I tried again just to pass 80, and I got 94.” He continued, “On the third try, I got 99 and was going to stop, but I took the test one more time to cheer on the students I was tutoring for free. That’s when I got 100.” It was a perfect score achieved through repeated challenges.
He also touched upon how his family history motivated him to focus on his studies. Seo shared, “My family members, who had been living apart, came back together, and I felt that the best thing I could do for my family in that situation was to study.” He described his middle school years as the time he studied the hardest in his life. He also shared his study secret: “Ultimately, the most important thing in an exam is grasping the examiner’s intent.” He explained that because problem styles vary by teacher even for the same subject, he meticulously analyzed the tendencies and characteristics of each teacher.
tvN STORY’s ‘Namgyeoseo Mwohage’ airs every Monday at 8 PM.
