An 83-Year-Old Freshman Enrolls at Granddaughter's Alma Mater... "I Want to Speak English with My Granddaughter"

Participate in the Entrance Ceremony and Share a Word of Blessing

The oldest examinee of the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test, Grandma Kim Jeong-ja (83), attended the Sookmyung Women's University entrance ceremony.

Grandmother Kim Jeong-ja (left) and Jang Yoon-geum, President of Sookmyung Women's University (right). [Image source=Sookmyung Women's University]

On the 19th, Yonhap News reported that Grandma Kim took her seat as a freshman majoring in Social Welfare at the Future Education Institute of Sookmyung Women's University during the 2024 entrance ceremony held at Jangchung Gymnasium in Jung-gu, Seoul. Meeting the press at the ceremony, Grandma Kim expressed her expectations, saying, "I want to study English hard at university so I can naturally speak English with my granddaughter." She also added that she wants to study diligently to help those who know less than she does.

Grandma Kim enrolled in Sookmyung Women's University, the same school her granddaughter graduated from. She said, "My granddaughter boasted every day that her school was the best," and laughed, "When she heard the news of my acceptance, she said, 'Now Grandma is my junior. Our Grandma is the best.'" When asked what she looks forward to most in university life, Grandma Kim replied, "I want to talk with students from different generations and get help with studying English." Having raised three children and endured hard work, Grandma Kim has undergone three back surgeries. Because of this, she worries that "I might need help from the new generation students," but she also expressed her determination, saying, "I have been reviewing two to three hours a day to learn what I didn't know, enduring the pain."

On the morning of the 19th, at Jangchung Gymnasium in Jung-gu, Seoul, Kim Jeong-ja (right), the oldest CSAT test taker, is speaking at the '2024 Academic Year Sookmyung Women's University Entrance Ceremony.' This year, Kim enrolled as a freshman majoring in Social Welfare at Sookmyung Women's University Future Education Institute.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

At the entrance ceremony, Sookmyung Women's University President Jang Yoon-geum gave a welcoming speech and introduced Grandma Kim to the freshmen as a "very special newcomer." Grandma Kim conveyed her wishes, saying, "I hope to study hard, bring honor to the country, and make Sookmyung Women's University shine." The Future Education Institute at Sookmyung Women's University operates a credit bank system, and the university decided to provide Grandma Kim with a scholarship for one year to support her studies. They also announced plans to support English education in line with Grandma Kim's goal of communicating in English with her grandchildren overseas.

Born in 1941, Grandma Kim had to flee during the Korean War just as she was about to enter elementary school. As the eldest daughter among eight siblings, attending school was a dream she could not even imagine. Her father, who believed "a woman only needs to manage the household well," married her off to the second son of a wealthy farmer in the village.

However, no circumstance could stop Grandma Kim's passion for learning. As time passed, she decided to start studying, which had been a lifelong regret. In 2018, she enrolled in Yangwon Adult School to learn Hangul, and continued her studies at Ilseong Girls' Middle and High School. In 2019, she appeared on tvN's "You Quiz on the Block," gaining attention as an elderly lifelong learner who never gave up learning Hangul and piano. She also shared an anecdote from that time, saying, "When I was selling goods in front of a university in Seoul, I met a student who tore a notebook to teach me consonants because I didn't know Hangul, and that's how I started learning Hangul."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.