Challenges of Part-Time Jobs for South Korean Students

University students in South Korea struggle with part-time jobs, financial pressure, and societal expectations.

### The Struggles and Realities of Young Adults in South Korea
* 🛍️  Yoo Seung-sang, a philosophy student and advertiser, expresses his support for the **role and potential of South Korean youth**.
* 🏪  Working at a convenience store was a way to **earn money while studying**, with the workload being **manageable**.
* 💸  Many young adults work part-time jobs to support themselves and **avoid relying on their parents for money**.
* 🍜  Due to financial constraints, some students struggle to afford proper meals and resort to **cheap, unhealthy food like cup noodles**.
* 🌧️  The uncertain future, financial pressures, and harsh realities of life as a young adult can lead to **feelings of despair and helplessness**.
* 🚚  Baek Sun-jae discusses the challenges and rewards of working part-time delivery jobs, which allowed him to **earn more for the time invested**.
* 💔  The high cost of living and dating in South Korea can make it difficult for young adults to **save money and plan for the future**.
* ✏️  Despite the belief that "there's nothing that can't be achieved through effort," many young adults struggle with the pressure to **work hard and succeed**.

Drinking CH G C tea, reading a book, and getting lost in thoughts, these days feel somewhat empty [MUSIC]. Right now, someone seems tired [MUSIC]. Hello [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE]. Hello, I am Yoo Seung-sang, studying philosophy at university and working as an advertiser, supporting the youth in South Korea. I believe that there is a certain role given to the youth in South Korea. Adults often say that the youth have potential, possibilities, and such. I think that is precisely the role. Therefore, I tried to express that I am supporting that role. [MUSIC]. It feels like I am going to buy some soju, receiving packages these days, and solving many things. It feels like it could be paradise. I enjoy drinking alone and with friends, so I often go to the convenience store as a soju expert.

When I was young, working at a convenience store felt like a deep forest. I lived in the area where I served in the military for my whole life, so when I first came up to the city, it was quite tough. Working at the convenience store helped calm my anxious mind during the time I was alone. I spent a lot of time there. To me, the convenience store was a place I worked for four years, so it was a place I didn't want to go. When I was working part-time, there were customers who even entrusted me with their laundry. I also took on the role of a laundromat. I helped with phone charging and other things. It's really contradictory, but being a convenience store part-timer is both the best and the worst. The reason it's the best is that the workload is not that heavy. You just need to stand up when customers come, sell products, and just do things like displaying products. Here you go. It's done. Since the payment is complete. Please take the bag. Welcome. Welcome. The reason it's the worst is now, so to speak, the customers.

Let's talk about it. There are many people who come and drink because they have their own problems. So, many people who have had a few drinks end up getting angry by themselves. They just drink soju, but they keep bothering passersby, causing trouble. I had to call the police about three times. I think when customers are here, they should think about cleaning up after themselves. It's something that should be obvious, but it's not always the case. This is just the beginning of the day, so the packs are still fresh. This job was the easiest to combine with my studies, and since I was doing it alone, I didn't have to worry about others. I think that's why I kept doing it.

I am currently working as a server in a restaurant, and I used to work part-time at a wedding hall. I also worked at a night bar and as a sushi chef. I worked as a mama night for a year and then worked at an academy for about six months. It's been a few years since I graduated from university. There has been hardly any time when I wasn't doing part-time jobs for the past four years. I don't think there has been a single moment when I haven't done part-time jobs since becoming an adult. I tried working at a fast-food restaurant, monitoring online lectures at a large academy, working at a school library, doing delivery service, folding boxes at a factory, sorting logistics, loading and unloading, cleaning hotels, and selling insurance. I didn't want to rely on my parents for money, so I thought about rent and living expenses. I could relax and study as well.

Doing things other than working and earning money, like not having a part-time job, obtaining qualifications, etc., all come down to money. To acquire certifications, you need to attend academies, build your resume with activities like participating in competitions, and taking on responsibilities such as leading a team after meals. Therefore, you have no choice but to earn money during that time. You have to earn money instead of spending it, right? [APPLAUSE] I am Baek Sun-jae, a 4th-year student majoring in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Chung-Ang University, preparing to enter society with a heavy heart as my 20s are fading away. Although many people work at convenience stores and cafes, I never really preferred jobs with low income. I would like to talk about both the best and worst part-time jobs, which are both delivery jobs. In a way, both jobs allowed me to get more incentives for investing the same amount of time in part-time work, and the reward matched the effort I put in the most.

It was fascinating. The music was so loud that it made my head really hot, causing my eyes to shine brightly, which made it difficult to drive. I remember there were also some unpleasant terms. Yes, there were. For example, although it sounds like slang, I heard the word b**ch a lot. People just cursed a lot, so I think I heard a lot of words that were so bad that they couldn't be on air. Part-time jobs, well, when money came in, I was happy, but I wasn't always happy while working. It was an experience like that. I remember once when I was delivering to a specific apartment in Gangnam-gu, when I went in to make the delivery, they stopped me at the entrance of the apartment complex, told me to park the motorcycle outside, and walk in. So, I had an experience like that.

Next to me, there were residents who were entering on motorcycles just like me. When I saw them and asked, Why are they going in? I heard one of the residents asking me a question, saying, No, residents have ordered delivery, so while you walk from here and make the delivery, others are hungry, so I have to work to earn money. When others are less hungry, I have to eat. That's how I can make more deliveries, and that's when the incentives increase. Thank you, have a hard time. Yes, thank you, goodbye. Yes, thank you, please leave it there. Yes, enjoy your meal. Yes, thank you. While living in society, I felt that there are more harsh realities than this. I am a 24-year-old young man. I received a text this morning saying that I had overdue traffic fines.

If you are overdue, your card will be suspended, so make a deposit quickly. When you receive a message like that and make a deposit, there's only 20,000 won left in your account. It's quite annoying. Some people use it like in-game money in a game, but in the end, it's all about money. It's annoying. Oh, I only had 9,000 won left after paying the monthly rent yesterday. So, what else should I do? I'm definitely earning, but nothing is accumulating. So, should I take a little bit of that? I feel pressured. I really can't make a lot of money even if I receive a small face like this every month. It feels like I can't make a lot of money. They say you can't make a lot of money even if you save up a lot, right? I always check my bank account balance on my phone. How much money do I have left? With this money, how much of a living can I afford, and what should I eat?

I once tried living for a week with only 3,000 won, and there were times when I only had 3,000 won to spend. What did I buy in a week with 3,000 won? I bought instant noodles with that 3,000 won. Hello, my name is Kim Sangcheon, a university student. Since I live in a dormitory, I can't cook, so I mostly eat cup noodles. For breakfast, I usually have cup noodles. In my room, there are stacks of those big cup noodles that can be heated up. I want to stop eating them so much. I can feel how greasy they are, and I get tired of them a lot, but the school serves hamburgers as a meal. They sell one hamburger for 2,500 won. If I eat one or two of those, I feel full. Even if I buy two for 5,000 won, it's still cheaper than finding a 5,000 won restaurant these days.

I once had severe enteritis from eating stimulating and unhealthy foods, and I was fined a lot of money back then, nearly a million won. It's harder than catching a thief. It's close to one million won, you know. It's difficult, and my parents always tell me to eat well, but it's not easy. Seriously, more than anything else, one of the characteristics of a 20-year-old college student is not being able to eat properly. This is the biggest thing. It feels like a sudden cold snap to me, like it's getting cold. It's like, now that I've just come out, it's starting to snow a little. It's like the four seasons of life, like a sudden cold snap. I lived as an unemployed person for about four months. I felt like I was going crazy. They say you can't change. That's right. You fall into helplessness. So, intentionally, I try not to think about it.

There are also unemployed people. Desperation, isn't desperation the first thing that comes to mind when you think of unemployment? I've been preparing for this for about 1 to 2 years, whether it's in the past or now, and this period is honestly tough. Thoughts like, How can I survive 5 to 6 years like this? come to mind. Everyone wonders if they will really make it, if I will be able to establish myself in the future. Living like this, feeling frustrated, is actually the state of being an unemployed person. Without realizing it, I might be overcome by a sense of powerlessness and end up not doing anything. I might just think it's impossible and give up. That's the scariest part. It's tough. If you want to meet someone, you have to go out, and when you go out, it costs money. I'm not doing it. In reality, not doing it is closer to me. In fact, among the things that my peers often talk about while dating, one of them is about having a lot of money.

It sounds like I lacked something. If I were to start dating now, I think I should have invested more time in working part-time delivery jobs. In relationships, I realized that having a good amount of financial freedom is crucial. I felt like I didn't have much peace of mind. Even if one dates, they might not be able to get married. I've seen many friends like that in this lifetime. Actually, love cannot be quantified with any value, but at least for now, isn't it a luxury? It's a bit sad, but just for transportation costs, there's already some expense. The basic fare to go to a place is currently 1350 won multiplied by 2, which is 2,700 won. It's not just 2,700 won that you need. The issue is that there's an additional cost on top of that. For example, just for a meal, it costs about 10,000 won. It's on the cheaper side, isn't it?

I realized that I started to dislike going outside. Marriage is good if you do it, and if you can't, there's nothing you can do. Dating is good if you do it, and if you can't, it's as if it's already gone. When you need to focus on something, sometimes you can't focus. When it's difficult to keep in touch, I think about giving up on dating. I met someone while working. When I was working part-time, I met a customer who is commonly referred to as a regular. When facing difficult tasks that are hard to do alone, being together helps build affection. Spending time together there feels fulfilling. When I see you, I naturally follow along, living in your actions, tossing and turning. It feels like I have to suffer a lot to become more sensitive. I think that what you can gain is effort. If effort is just trying something and being able to do it easily, then real effort is truly thinking that I have to do this much to succeed and this much to endure.

Effort feels like something solid, a bit like poop. So, effort gives me the feeling that I've been consistent in a certain field. It's very hard and tiring, but those who have made an effort usually have a sense of persisting for 5 to 6 years or even more. It's a bit more persistent, enduring, and somewhat resilient feeling over a slightly longer period of time. To me, the word effort gives off that kind of feeling. There's a saying that goes, There's nothing that can't be achieved through effort. If you make an effort, nothing is impossible. I think that's an idealistic statement, and I hope it turns out that way, but in reality, it seems like there's nothing you can achieve through effort alone. Anyway, to make a living, I think studying is the most cost-effective way besides eating. I believe I've studied hard. Rather than recognizing the possibility of success, I see more friends who recognize the despair of I won't make it.

It seems like many people these days, rather than making efforts to escape from reality, just think that no matter how much they try, things won't change. When they make an effort, it feels somewhat negative, as things that cannot be achieved even with effort come to mind. It's really ridiculous. I brought a Sharp pencil that I had in my pencil case. This Sharp pencil, I used it only for studying after graduating from elementary school and receiving it as a gift from my homeroom teacher. I would even fix it when it broke. I thought it contained the time I spent studying. You know, during middle and high school, kids received a lot of private education, but I couldn't receive as much as I wanted. So, I think I worked many times harder. I really did, even if it meant sacrificing sleep, just to receive as much private education as I wanted.

There was a will to do better than those who can do it, and the word effort itself doesn't sound like just trying hard at something, but it sounds like just make an effort. When you say, You should make an effort, it seems like a blunt thing to say to people of my generation, born in the 90s. When you use that, it feels like saying something stupidly intense like, Just make an effort. It could be twisted by me, but it's not that. It's more like, Just live like that.

부모보다 가난한 최초의 세대, 가난한 20대 청년들이 말하는 ‘진짜 가난’이란 무엇인가│아직 어리지만 어리면 안되는 20대들│다큐프라임 당신은 몰랐던 20대 이야기│#골라듄다큐

EBS offers a wide range of high-quality documentaries dealing with subjects, such as knowledge, science, culture and others.

EBS는 지식, 과학, 문화, 교육 등 다양한 고품질의 다큐멘터리를 선보이고 있습니다.

EBSDocumentary (EBS 다큐)

Yoo Seung-sang: Supporting South Korean Youth

Yoo Seung-sang, a university philosophy student and advertiser, finds purpose in supporting the youth in South Korea.

His experience working at a convenience store, while sometimes challenging, provided a sense of calm and flexibility, allowing him to balance work with his studies.

Despite the ease of the job, he faced difficulties with customers, some of whom caused trouble after drinking, but he found solace in being able to work alone.

Baek Sun-jae, a 4th-year Electronic and Electrical Engineering student, has had a wide range of part-time jobs to support himself and avoid relying on his parents for money.

He has experienced the challenges of balancing work and studying, as well as the unpleasant aspects of some jobs, but found delivery jobs to be the most rewarding in terms of effort and incentives.

Despite the hard work, his part-time job experiences have been a valuable learning experience as he prepares to enter the professional world.

Struggling with Financial Pressures as a University Student

A 24-year-old university student feels the financial strain of overdue traffic fines and living expenses, leading to frustration and pressure to make ends meet.

Despite working and trying to save money, the student struggles to accumulate wealth and often relies on cheap, unhealthy food options like instant noodles and cheap hamburgers to afford meals.

The Financial Struggles of Being Unemployed

Being unemployed has led to financial difficulties, with the individual being fined a large sum of money.

The high cost of living and the pressure to have financial stability have made dating and relationships challenging.

The daily expenses, such as transportation and meals, have added to the financial stress of the situation.

The Complexities of Relationships and Effort

Struggling with the ups and downs of dating and the impact of effort on success.

Building affection and fulfillment through togetherness in difficult times.

The challenging and tiring nature of effort, and its role in persisting for success in the long term.

The Significance of Effort and a Sharp Pencil

The narrator's sharp pencil, used for studying since elementary school, symbolizes their hard work and determination.

Despite the lack of access to private education, they worked tirelessly, sacrificing sleep to do better.

The concept of "making an effort" feels intense and somewhat dismissive to the younger generation, reflecting a societal attitude towards effort and determination.