[The Typing Baker] Why Did They Quit Their Jobs?

The Contradiction of 'Good Jobs for Women'
A Society That Advises Daughters to Seek 'Stability'
Teachers and Nurses, Care Work Undervalued
Women's Jobs Must Be Recognized for Their True Worth

Last summer, a homeroom teacher at Seoi Elementary School in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, ended their life at school. The teacher, who was relatively new to the profession, left no suicide note, but diary entries and reports that followed revealed circumstances indicating that they struggled with students' sudden behaviors and complaints from parents. Subsequently, teachers nationwide took to the streets, protesting and demanding better working conditions, saying, "I have experienced this too."

When asked why they came out to protest every weekend in the scorching asphalt square in midsummer, the teachers expressed their frustration, saying, "We didn't know what the problem was until now." The life of a teacher, once considered a stable and prestigious profession, was different from the surface appearance. The successive deaths of teachers showed that unbearable stress had been accumulating.

This is not just a problem for teachers. Nurses, broadcast writers, and other professions in Korean society that also take on caregiving roles like 'mothers' face similar situations. Coincidentally, these professions are all 'female-dominated jobs.' The author explains this background by saying, "Good K-Daughters chose stable jobs themselves." These are relatively better options chosen quickly by daughters with strong responsibility or recommended by parents because they are 'good jobs for women.'

Women Who Quit Their Jobs sharply targets the contradictions experienced by women working in representative female-dominated professions in Korean society. Behind the phrase "jobs good for women" in our society lies not only personal growth. It implies jobs with adequate income, reasonable return times, and guaranteed parental leave, allowing women to fully maintain both work and family after marriage. Especially for 'K-Daughters,' whether by choice or coercion, stability was prioritized over personal dreams. Thus, many women's dreams have been narrowed and diminished.

The author points out that women's jobs are constantly undervalued even after choosing their professions. Teachers who are incessantly troubled by student and parent complaints beyond educational duties, nurses who suffer workplace bullying called 'taeum' amid excessive workloads, and broadcast writers who take on all auxiliary tasks necessary for production under low pay and overwork. Women play the role of 'caregivers' both at work and at home, and caregiving roles are always undervalued?just like the perception that mothers naturally handle housework and childcare.

The author vividly captures the testimonies of 32 women who had no choice but to quit their jobs as teachers, nurses, and broadcast writers. While many interview collections tell stories of those who endured and stayed, this book focuses on those who 'quit.' Furthermore, the authors, Seohyunju and Seulgi Lee, both voluntarily became references themselves by quitting their jobs as a teacher and a journalist, respectively. Even if a job is considered stable, this book is meaningful in showing that "if it’s hard, you can quit."

"A good job is one that is fairly valued in a capitalist society." What the book wants to say is not that these jobs are worthless. Female-dominated jobs and caregiving roles must now be recognized for their true value. And it continuously shouts that women in our society have the right to choose their jobs without worrying about anyone’s judgment and that they can quit anytime if it becomes too difficult.

Women Who Quit Their Jobs｜Written by Seulgi Lee and Seohyunju｜Dongasia｜268 pages｜17,000 KRW