Down in the southern part of South Korea--a country known for rugged persistence in the face of grave danger--there's a Guinness Record holder at work, one who just wants to drive.

This past May, Cha-Sa-soon of Wanju, South Korea, got her wish, and got her driver's license.

After 960 tries.

The New York Times reports the 69-year-old grandmother had been taking the driving test for a permit once a day, five days a week, since April 2005. Failing on each try, she slacked off to putting countless driving-test examiners to their limits twice a week.

Ironically, where most drivers worry about flunking the driving part of the exam, it was the written test that flustered Cha. (If you're wondering how difficult it is to get licensed in Korea, take a look at the video clip below.)

On the 961st try, Mrs. Cha earned the license, as well as hugs and flowers from her driving instructors. Over the years, her dogged attempts to win a permit earned her a bit of a cult following in Korea, where remote towns like hers force people to rely on driving or on bus service that can be irregular and difficult to find.

The Times says "Cha" is Korean for "vehicle," and her newfound cult status earned the newly minted driver a brand-new Hyundai and a TV commercial appearance on behalf of the country's largest automaker.

[New York Times]