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A Comedy Set Behind South Korea’s Biggest Exam
“Ugly Duckling Ms. Maeng,” a Korean comedy about the secretive process of writing the country’s college entrance exam, ranked fourth at the overall box office and second among Korean films for the week of Oct. 26 through Nov. 1.
The film opened Oct. 28, 2026, and drew 69,612 moviegoers during the weekly tracking period, generating 650 million won in ticket sales. Its cumulative admissions reached 71,767.
Known in Korean as “Suneung, The Secret of Question Writing,” the movie follows the experts responsible for creating the College Scholastic Ability Test, commonly called the Suneung. The high-stakes national exam plays a central role in determining university admission in South Korea.
Forty Days Behind Closed Doors
The story brings the country’s top test writers together and isolates them from the outside world for 40 days. Unable to leave early, the group must produce a fair exam for students nationwide without typographical errors, disputed questions or other problems.
Lee Yong-jae directed the 99-minute film. Lee Sun-bin stars as Maeng Bo-ram, while Yoo Jae-myung plays Moon Joo-yeol. The cast also includes Kim Young-min, Jeon Seok-ho, Kim Kyung-min, Lee Jin-hee, Hwang Bo-ra and Jung Soo-young.
Produced by Joy Rabbit and distributed by BY4M Studio and Barunson E&A, the comedy is rated for audiences ages 12 and older in South Korea.
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