"Looking for Someone to Join for a Date Job Repeating Cherry Blossom Pizza at 160,000 Won per Day"

Used Goods Trading Sites and Online Community Job Posts
Even Contact Numbers Are Prohibited, Raising Concerns of Criminal Misuse

As the full bloom season of cherry blossoms arrives, job postings seeking companions to enjoy the blossoms together are appearing on various online communities. These are daily part-time jobs offering a fixed hourly wage to find someone for a date. Although cherry blossom part-time job postings appear every year around this time, the hourly wages have been increasing over the years, and the required actions have become more specific.

On the 29th, the opening day of the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival, citizens are walking under cherry blossom trees on Yeouiseo-ro in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Yeongdeungpo-gu will hold the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival around the National Assembly area on Yeouiseo-ro from this day until April 2.
[Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@]

On the domestic secondhand trading site Danggeun, a post appeared stating, "Looking for a part-time worker to enjoy cherry blossoms together from 2 PM to 6 PM on April 10th, 4 hours, daily wage 70,000 KRW." The post also requested job seekers to "send your age and MBTI together" as a condition.

A similar post was found on the anonymous office worker community Blind. In a post titled "Looking for a cherry blossom date daily part-time job," the poster detailed their height, age, and weight, expressing a sincere wish to "have a meal with the opposite sex at least once on a cherry blossom day in life." The pay was offered at 20,000 KRW per hour for 8 hours, totaling 160,000 KRW per day. One post mentioned drafting an electronic labor contract and offering pick-up and drop-off services. Up to two meals and desserts would be provided. The worker conditions included being under 39 years old, residing in the metropolitan area, being able to prepare date courses and plans, and allowing hand-holding.

As the cherry blossom season approaches, a post appeared on an online community seeking to hire a companion of the opposite sex to enjoy the cherry blossoms together. [Photo source=Blind]

Netizens' reactions to the posts are mixed. Comments include "20,000 KRW per hour for 8 hours is 160,000 KRW, impressive," "Even in a world where money can buy everything, this is a bit much," "It's a waste of money. Better go on a blind date," and "I'm 37 years old too, and it hurts my heart." Meanwhile, some expressed empathy, saying, "People might be busy and have no time, so dating can be bothersome. I understand."

Previously, in 2019, a job portal Career surveyed 403 job seekers about their perception of 'cherry blossom part-time jobs.' 56.6% of respondents viewed 'cherry blossom part-time jobs' positively. The reasons included "It's a good opportunity to earn money and see cherry blossoms (70.6%)," "It's an easy and well-paid part-time job (25.4%)," and "It's a way to meet new people (3.1%)." However, some expressed concerns that this phenomenon could encourage sexual commodification or be exploited for criminal purposes.