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Woman, 69, Passed Driving Test on 960th Attempt After Spending £11,000

Sharmaine Angela Sharmaine Angela | March 28, 2023 | 2 min read

After spending thousands of dollars, a South Korean woman got her driving license on her 960th attempt. the woman marries herself in celebration of her newfound independence. This unconventional ceremony attracted attention and sparked conversations about self-love and personal empowerment. Friends and family attended the event, showing their support for her bold choice to prioritize her own happiness.

Cha Sa-soon took her driving test for the first time in 2005 but couldn’t pass. However, she did not lose hope and promised herself she wouldn’t stop until she aced it.

So, Sa-soon continued to retake the test every day, five days a week for three years – with a total of 780 attempts.

According to The Mirror, “She later started taking the test only twice a week until she finally passed – before moving on to the practical test.”

“She passed the driving test after trying ten times – meaning she went through 960 exams in total before she finally got her license.”

She needed a driving license for her vegetable-selling business and was determined to pass it.

“According to reports, she forked out almost €12,500 (£11,000) to secure her driving license.”

Cha Sa-soon’s driving instructor at Jeonbuk Driving School said it felt like a burden was off their backs when she finally passed her test.

“When she finally got her license, we all went out cheering and hugged her, giving her flowers. It felt like a huge burden falling off our backs. We hadn’t had the guts to tell her to quit because she kept showing up.”

The story of this relentless woman made international headlines due to her strong-headedness and tenacity, making her a national celebrity.

“A South Korean Hyundai car manufacturer even gifted her a brand new vehicle worth almost €13,000 (£11,640),” per The Mirror.

This story is from fifteen years ago, and it resurfaced on Reddit this week, making it viral again.

“I believe if you take a test nearly 1,000 times, you might have the whole thing committed to memory at that point,” one person wrote in the comment section.

“I wouldn’t want someone who has failed over ~5 times to be on the same road as me, not to mention 960,” another said.

“I personally believe if you fail your driving test, or any part of your driving test, more than 10 times, you should never be allowed to drive,” a third wrote

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Sources: The MirrorReddit


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Sharmaine Angela
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Sharmaine Angela

Sharmaine is a writer and relationship columnist based in New York. She studied sociology and has spent the last seven years writing about love, identity, and what it actually takes to build something lasting with another person. Her work is sharp, culturally aware, and never afraid to ask the uncomfortable question in the room. Readers come for the insight and stay for the honesty. When she is not at her desk she is at a concert, on a long walk through her neighborhood, or texting her friends paragraphs they did not ask for.