Woman finally passed driving test after 960 attempts and spending over $14,000 on lessons

Cha Sa-Soon, aged 68, set a new Guinness World Record while working to get her driver's license.

There's nothing quite like being featured on an automotive service company's site, is there? But after taking a whopping 960 attempts and spending over $14,000, Cha Sa-soon certainly deserved a shout-out and has gone on to become somewhat of an international celebrity.

The 69-year-old woman from South Korea may have finally passed her test 15 years ago, but her story remains legendary on a global level, featured by a British automotive services company headquartered in the West Midlands, UK, alongside multiple Reddit threads.

In an interview with The New York Times, Sa-soon explained she didn't start learning how to drive until she was in her sixties because she was 'too busy raising [her] four children'.

But was it the theory side or the practical side of the driving test that Cha Sa-soon struggled with?

Cha Sa-soon started learning to drive in her sixties (Cha Sa soon Hyundai Television Commercial/ YouTube)

Well, hailed by the company as 'a national celebrity for her tenacity and commitment,' the RAC details how Cha Sa-soon battled with both elements of obtaining her driver's license.

It explains that Sa-Soon first attempted the written theory test in April 2005, but sadly didn't pass.

However, she valiantly ploughed on, and after doing so many exams, she did the equivalent of an exam 'every day, five days a week over three years,' she finally passed.

Alas, up next was the practical test, which posed many more hurdles - 100, to be exact.

Sa-soon ultimately took a total of a staggering 960 exams in a bid to get her driving license, as one YouTuber commented: "A woman of pure determination and sheer will."

Should the 69-year-old decide to apply for any jobs, she certainly has one hell of a story to tell if asked the question: "Describe a challenge you overcame."

But why was Sa-soon so adamant about obtaining her driver's license?

Sa-soon is reported to have spent an estimated £11,000 ($14,000) on all the exams, according to the RAC.

However, it was worth it in her eyes, given her need to own a vehicle to drive to support her vegetable-selling business and to take her grandchildren to the zoo.

And when she did eventually pass? Sa-soon's instructor from Jeonbuk Driving School told The New York Times: "We all went out cheering and hugged her, giving her flowers."

I should hope so with the flowers given, how much Sa-soon spent in obtaining her license - the staggering figure of $14,000, not even including the cost of all the driving lessons she must've undergone in a bid to prepare for the practical test.

The instructor added: "We hadn't had the guts to tell her to quit because she kept showing up."

Heartwarmingly, after hearing of Sa-soon's passing of her test after her 960th attempt, South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai gifted her a new vehicle worth around $15,000.

Good things come to those who wait, I guess?