[Born in '58, Sunja] Rehired After 41 Years with 'Mom Grit'... "Back as a Working Woman, I Found My Confidence"

<Feature> Women Baby Boomer Report #3

Editor's Note The 3.6 million women of the Baby Boomer generation in South Korea each have 3.6 million unique stories. Their backgrounds, occupations, and desired life directions vary widely. It is necessary to understand them not as flattened figures labeled simply as mothers, wives, or ajummas, but as individuals with diverse desires and goals. Asia Economy directly listened to the voices of Baby Boomer women who are each sprinting forward as 'three-dimensional subjects.'

Baristas Jeong Eun-su (62, left) and Kim Hye-kyung (66), who work at 'Kong Cafe' located in Boram-dong, Sejong City, are having their photo taken.

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyun-jung (Sejong), Lee Hyun-joo, Son Sun-hee (Sejong)] "I've done volunteer work before, but this is my first time getting a job since I got married. In our generation, once you get married, all jobs disappear. Now that I’ve decided to be a working woman again, I even pay attention to my clothes. Maybe because of my 'mommy grit,' being busy actually feels better."

We met Kim Hye-kyung (66), a 'rookie barista' in her 9th month, at 'Kong Cafe' located in Boram-dong, Sejong City. She passed a written and practical exam and overcame a 3.5:1 competition ratio in the final interview to get hired last November. Kim got married in 1980. After majoring in Library Science and working as a librarian at a municipal library, she quit her job upon marriage. This is her reemployment after 41 years.

Kim Hye-kyung (66) working at 'Kong Cafe' located in Boram-dong, Sejong City.

Kong Cafe is one of the market-type job projects operated by the Sejong Senior Club, an organization conducting senior employment projects under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The first Kong Cafe opened in 2018 and received a good response, so a second branch was opened earlier this year, hiring 10 new baristas. All of them are women from the Baby Boomer generation. They work four hours a day, two days a week. The wage is 9,000 KRW per hour.

In Kim’s case, her hobby of enjoying coffee and having obtained a barista certificate helped greatly in getting the job. After many years of supporting her family, Kim’s late return to work brought great joy to her family, especially her husband. Her husband retired two years ago and is currently resting. Kim said, "My husband actively supported me, saying, 'I wish I could work like you, not a 24-hour demanding job.'"

Barista Jeong Eun-su (62), working at 'Kong Cafe' located in Boram-dong, Sejong City, is making a beverage.

Another barista at Kong Cafe, Jeong Eun-su (62), also succeeded in late employment through the Senior Club. She joined at the same time as Kim. She worked as a teacher at an affiliated kindergarten but quit after marrying in 1986. Since then, she occasionally earned money through private piano lessons, but it was not a job in the employment sense. Jeong said, "After marriage, I followed my husband around, and before I knew it, I was already over 60. I wanted to work, but I worried a lot about whether anyone would accept me or if I could really work."

Jeong actively wanted a job but lacked information on where to start. A friend introduced her to the Senior Club. After searching for suitable jobs on the website, she targeted Kong Cafe and challenged herself to get a barista certificate. Before the practical interview, she practiced recipes alone by watching YouTube videos. Facing an interview after decades, she was so nervous she even took a calming pill. Kim said, "I lacked confidence and was afraid I might not pass, but working hard made it possible. After passing, I gained confidence and felt proud."

What was the driving force that allowed them to actively enter the job market even after turning 60? Kim said, "I wanted to have confidence." She added, "When I stayed at home, I became lazy and felt very incompetent. Younger generations might wait for breaks because work is hard, but I feel blessed to be able to work at this age. I think my peers feel the same way."