"My Sister and I Ate Lobster, and Dad Cried Hard" - The Story of a Medical Student Who Overcame Poverty

Lost mother at a young age, father raised sisters alone
Older sister encouraged, "I'll earn money, you keep studying"... focused on academics
Eventually admitted to Yonsei University Medical School... Netizens say "You did great"

Yonsei University Sinchon Campus / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] "I went to Outback for the first time in my life. When my dad saw my sister and me eating spaghetti, steak, and even lobster, he cried again. Because dad cried, my sister and I cried too. We cried while finishing the four-person set meal. It was the first time I ate until I was so full my stomach felt like it would burst."

On the 10th, an anonymous Facebook page called 'Yonsei University Bamboo Forest' shared the story of a Yonsei University medical student who overcame poverty. Raised by a single father, this medical student overcame financial hardship and scored nearly perfect on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). After taking the exam, he had his first full meal with his family at a restaurant, touching many hearts.

The author lost his mother in an accident when he was five years old. His mother was involved in a traffic accident while returning home after finishing work at a restaurant.

The author's father worked as a day laborer to raise the author and his sister, who was eight years old at the time. The author explained the situation, saying, "Dad shed tears of blood to raise us, but unfortunately, the price of those tears was not great. It was just enough for the three of us?me, my sister, and dad?to survive without dying."

On the 10th, a story of a university student who overcame financial difficulties and was admitted to Yonsei University College of Medicine was posted on the Yonsei University Bamboo Forest Facebook page. / Photo by Facebook homepage capture

Due to the family's poverty, the sister gave up her academic dreams early and entered a commercial high school. However, the author recalled a homeroom teacher in elementary school who advised, "Your talent will change your life," and focused on schoolwork. The author ranked first in the entire school during middle school.

The author entered high school and, without attending any private academies, ranked second in the school on the exam. He said, "It was a high school known in the region for good academic performance," and added, "I bought workbooks little by little with government money and achieved second place in the school."

However, a turning point came when the father, working at a construction site, suffered a safety accident. The author wrote, "I realized I could no longer continue studying," and added, "If I stopped working even for a moment, it wouldn't just mean missing out on the two dry electric grilled chickens worth 8,000 won that we used to eat together once a year on New Year's Day. It meant falling into a poverty that was much worse."

He also added, "I cried a lot that day. My eyes were swollen, and my throat was hoarse from crying."

The author vowed, "I will give the gift of a life where my family can go to Outback and order food whenever they want to eat." / Photo by Facebook Capture

At that time, the sister encouraged him, saying, "I'll find a way to earn money, so you keep studying and show that a dragon can really come out of a small stream." Thanks to his sister's sacrifice, the author was able to continue his studies.

Eventually, the author scored nearly perfect on the CSAT, missing only one 2-point question in Korean and one 2-point question in Earth Science. On the day he returned home with his provisional score report, his father said, "I'm sorry for being a bad father who couldn't take you to Outback, which you begged me to go to."

Afterward, the author was admitted to Yonsei University Medical School and worked as a tutor for about three months to pay off 3 million won in overdue rent. After paying the rent, he split the remaining 4 million won equally and gave it to his father and sister.

That day, the father took the family to Outback, a steakhouse, and the family cried while eating the four-person set meal.

The author said, "I promised to give my dad and sister a life where, not on birthdays, not on New Year's Day, not on any special occasion, but just because we want to, we can go to Outback and order a four-person lobster set."

This post received over 39,000 likes and was shared more than 4,000 times within two days. Netizens who read the story responded with encouragement such as "It's touching," "You've done something great," and "Become a good doctor and live happily with your family."