“960 Attempts, 1 Unbelievable Success: The Inspiring Story of the Grandma Who Refused to Give Up on Her Driver’s License!”

In April 2005, at around age 64, Cha Sa-soon (from a rural village in Sinchon, Wanju County, South Korea) began attempting the written (theory) portion of the driver’s license exam. She wanted the independence to drive to the market for her vegetable-selling business, visit her grandchildren, and handle daily life more easily in an area with limited public transport.

She tackled the written test relentlessly — typically five days a week for the first three years, then reducing to about twice a week. The exam consisted of multiple-choice questions on traffic rules, vehicle maintenance, and regulations, requiring a passing score of 60/100.

After 950 failures on the written test, she finally passed it in November 2009 (at age 68–69). She then moved on to the practical portions (driving skills and on-road test), which she passed after additional attempts — most reports state around 10 more failures across those sections

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In total, she took 960 attempts (written + practical combined) over nearly five years, finally receiving her full driver’s license in May 2010 at age 69.

The fees for each attempt were modest (around $5–$7 per test), but they added up significantly — estimates range from about $4,200 to over $10,000 (or equivalent in Korean won, sometimes reported as 5–20 million won including lessons), depending on the source and what costs were included.

Her story captured national and international attention (including coverage in The New York Times), turning her into a symbol of perseverance — she even became known as “Grandma Cha” and appeared in Hyundai commercials. Hyundai gifted her a brand-new car (a Soul model) as recognition of her determination.

Her achievement is often cited as holding a Guinness World Record for the most driving theory tests taken.

This inspiring tale of never giving up — “959 failures, 960th success” — continues to go viral on platforms like Reddit years later, reminding people of the power of persistence!

(As a side note: After getting her license, she reportedly had a few minor accidents in the first year or so, leading to family concerns and periods where she didn’t drive — but the focus remains on her extraordinary grit.) 😊