'Looking for Someone to Prepare Meals for a Family of 5, Hourly Wage 10,000 Won'... Job Posting Controversy

Netizens Outraged Over 'Labor Exploitation' Announcement
Average Hourly Wage for Domestic Helpers Between 10,000 and 20,000 Won

A post seeking a housekeeper to prepare dinner with an hourly wage set at 10,000 won has sparked controversy, being criticized as labor exploitation.

On the 27th, an online community posted a job advertisement titled "Dinner Preparation." The author of the post stated they were looking for someone to prepare dinner for a family of five and offered an hourly wage of 10,000 won.

The author introduced themselves as living in a detached house in ㅇㅇ-dong, raising two girls aged 4 and 2 years old, and explained, "I don't have time because of raising children, and it's difficult to decide on dinner menus, so I am looking for someone to prepare dinner."

They added, "I will provide a meal plan, so you just need to shop at a nearby market according to the plan and prepare Korean meals for five people (three adults and two children) on a tray," and explained, "You would come to our house every day at 5 p.m. from Monday to Sunday, prepare the meal so we can eat at 6 p.m., and then leave."

They continued, "You just need to prepare dinner like a home-cooked meal from a mother or a meal prepared for a boarder," and added, "It would be great if you like cooking. The working hours and conditions can be negotiated."

The post drew criticism online for excessive labor exploitation. Comments flooded in such as, "Does the shopping time not count as working hours?", "You can't even buy delivery food with 10,000 won," and "That's mean-spirited."

One netizen sarcastically remarked, "Even the cooking competition show 'Hansik Daecheop' would be easier than this." Another pointed out, "This is targeting elderly people, not young ones. These days, elderly people have few places to earn money, so many look for jobs on Danggeun Market. There are people who go just to earn this."

The domestic wage rate for housekeepers is mostly much higher than the minimum hourly wage of 9,860 won. Most are set between 10,000 and 20,000 won per hour, with higher hourly wages for shorter work periods and lower wages for longer hours. When hiring through professional agencies, a minimum of two hours is usually required.

A similar job posting appeared seeking a move-in helper for Tower Palace in Dogok-dong during a similar period. However, this attracted attention in a different way. According to the post, working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday pays 3.8 to 4 million won per month, and working through Saturday pays 4.5 million won per month.

The author wrote, "Looking for someone who can move into Dogok Tower Palace," and added, "There is a 3-year-old and a 40-day-old newborn. The mother takes care of the older child, so we mainly need someone to care for the newborn. Preference will be given to those with newborn care experience, and we hope for someone who can join like family."

The post was viewed by 3,600 people and received 21 applications. While some netizens responded that the labor intensity was high relative to the salary, others expressed positive opinions such as, "If the annual salary is 50 million won, it's okay," and "I want to do it."