[Interview] Latte Art Painted with Tulips... The Cheerful Second Act of a Senior Barista

3rd 'Senior Barista Latte Art Competition'
Interview with Grand Prize Winner Barista Kim Boksun
Over 20 Years at Auto Parts Manufacturer
Completed Training After Retirement... 7 Years in Cafe Work

"They say those who enjoy cannot lose. Although the salary is low, doing work I wanted to try makes it fun, and seeing results brings a sense of fulfillment."

Kim Boksun, a 69-year-old barista who won the grand prize (Minister of Health and Welfare Award) at the 3rd 'Senior Barista Latte Art Competition' held earlier this month, shared her thoughts on receiving the big award in an interview with Asia Economy on the 29th, smiling brightly. She said, "Colleagues and related personnel at the site cheered me on a lot, and my family said they were 'nervous' watching the live broadcast of the competition on YouTube," adding, "I didn't practice much, so I was stunned by the results that exceeded my expectations."

At the 3rd 'Senior Barista Latte Art Competition,' barista Kim Boksun, who won the grand prize (Minister of Health and Welfare Award), is smiling brightly while holding the beverage she made.
[Photo by Daegu Buk-gu Senior Club]

The Senior Barista Latte Art Competition is an event jointly hosted by Starbucks Korea, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Korea Senior Club Association. Baristas affiliated with the Senior Club Association participate, showcasing their skills once a year since 2022. Barista Kim belongs to the Senior Club in Buk-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City, and makes coffee at Cafe Now Buk-gu Youth Center branch operated by this club. Having been a barista for seven years this year, she passed the preliminaries competing against 157 other participants with an average age of 70 and won the top prize in the finals among 16 contestants.

She said, "While working at the cafe, I occasionally drew flowers or tried heart-shaped latte art for fun, and I received many compliments from those around me," adding, "I was encouraged to participate in the competition, so I applied."

In this competition, Barista Kim completed the task of drawing a three-tiered tulip design. The work must be finished within the three-minute time limit. The entire process, from steaming milk foam at the right temperature to focusing on the fingertips to express objects delicately, is a continuous tension. The symmetry of the object expressed on the cup must be accurate, and judges check whether objects like hearts or leaves are positioned front and center when the consumer lifts the cup to drink.

At the 3rd 'Senior Barista Latte Art Competition,' barista Kim Boksun, who won the grand prize (Minister of Health and Welfare Award), is showcasing latte art.
[Photo by Daegu Buk-gu Senior Club]

Barista Kim introduced, "Since I was young, I had the skill to look at a specific picture and draw it exactly the same, and even now, people around me say I am good at handling phones or devices," adding, "I never specially learned latte art but practiced little by little at home or the cafe while watching YouTube."

She lost her husband in her thirties and worked for about 20 years from 1992 at an automobile parts manufacturing company in Daegu, handling machinery while raising one son and three daughters. Around her sixtieth birthday, she quit the physically demanding labor and opened the second chapter of her life as a barista. Barista Kim said, "After retirement, I vaguely wanted to run a cafe or tea house, but it was not easy realistically," adding, "By chance, I saw a notice that the Senior Club Association was offering barista training and applied."

Starbucks Korea, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Senior Club Association signed a tripartite agreement in March 2019 aiming to create sustainable, quality jobs for seniors and support their training. Notably, to strengthen the competitiveness of senior baristas working at 150 senior cafes nationwide in 2019, they opened the 'Starbucks Win-Win Training Center' and conducted a total of 233 training sessions until June this year. About 1,500 senior baristas (4 hours per person, totaling 6,000 hours) completed the training here.

At the 3rd 'Senior Barista Latte Art Competition,' barista Kim Boksun, who won the grand prize (Minister of Health and Welfare Award), is holding the beverage she made and posing for a commemorative photo in front of a placard.
[Photo by Daegu Buk-gu Senior Club]

After completing the training, Barista Kim personally prepared and obtained a Level 2 Barista Certificate. Based on this, she has been working as a barista since the opening of Cafe Now Buk-gu Youth Center branch. Currently, she works about 30 to 40 hours a month, sharing days and working hours with 17 colleagues.

She urged, "Even if you are a bit older, nowadays there are many fields and information available if you have interest," adding, "I hope seniors boldly challenge the second chapter of their lives by doing what they want." She also expressed her aspiration, saying, "If possible, I want to continue working as long as I can and serve customers delicious drinks and beautiful latte art."