About 200 people were unable to take the Test of English for International Communication on Sunday as the site closed without prior notice due to the coronavirus issue.

Test-takers waited outside Kyungil High School in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, until 9:20 a.m., shortly before the test was scheduled to start. The person in charge belatedly arrived and explained that they had to go to a different test site by 9:50 a.m. If that wasn’t possible, the person said, they could skip the test and get a full refund.

“We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the lack of prior notice due to COVID-19,” said the YBM Korea TOEIC Committee, which administers the English proficiency test in Korea.

Some applicants who couldn’t take the test asked to be reimbursed, but the committee has yet to offer a formal response. 

By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)