"This is what it is... Chuseok Gifts" Bitter 'Proof Shots' of Small Business Workers

Poor Holiday Gift Verification, Sharing Three Cans of Tuna

Photos of Chuseok gifts posted by employees of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become a hot topic online.

On the 14th, several posts titled ‘Chuseok Gift Certification’ and ‘Received Chuseok Gifts from SMEs’ were uploaded on the DC Inside SME Gallery.

A photo certified as a Chuseok gift by people working at small and medium-sized enterprises. [Photo source = Online community capture]

Posts with titles such as ‘Ridiculous Chuseok Gifts’ and ‘SME Chuseok Gift Reviews’ contain stories about absurd holiday gifts along with photos. The term ‘gaeXso’ is a derogatory expression used to criticize SMEs for poor treatment of employees.

One netizen posted a photo of a gift box containing several Naju pears. Along with the photo, they wrote, “They told us to take one each.” This means that employees do not each receive a box of Naju pears as a Chuseok gift, but rather share the pears inside one box among multiple employees.

Another post author said they received a single cup of instant noodles and a snack as a Chuseok gift. Along with the photo, they wrote, “I came to work and saw this on my desk, wondering ‘What is this?’” They added, “The manager was complaining about the boss with the smokers, and when I listened, I found out that before the boss went on a family trip to the airport, he bought 2+1 instant noodles at the convenience store in front of our company, set them up as gifts, and then went to the U.S.”

There were also posts about receiving three cans of tuna roughly packed in a plastic bag as a gift or being told to divide a stick-type red ginseng set among employees. Some even complained about working during the holiday without receiving any gifts.

A photo certified as a Chuseok gift by employees working at small and medium-sized enterprises. [Online community capture]

Those who read these stories responded with comments such as, “If that’s the case, it would be better to honestly apologize by saying, ‘Due to company difficulties, we cannot provide gifts this Chuseok. Sorry,’ which would feel more sincere,” and “I heard lawmakers received 4.24 million won each as holiday pay this Chuseok; it’s such a stark contrast.”

Meanwhile, the gap in Chuseok bonuses between large corporations and SMEs was clear. According to the 2024 Chuseok holiday survey by the Korea Employers Federation (KEF) on the 14th, the average bonus amount was 838,000 won. By company size, the average bonuses were 1.46 million won for large corporations, 1.206 million won for public institutions and government enterprises, 743,000 won for mid-sized companies, and 526,000 won for SMEs. The difference in bonuses between large corporations and SMEs reached 900,000 won. The percentage of companies with 300 or more employees planning to pay Chuseok bonuses increased by 1.5 percentage points to 75.4% compared to last year’s 73.9%, while companies with fewer than 300 employees decreased by 1.8 percentage points to 63.4% from 65.2% a year ago.