"Looking for a Woman to Do the Dishes for 10,000 Won" Uproar Over Sink Filled With Piled-Up Dishes

Debate Over Whether 10,000 Won Is Fair Pay
Some Voices Condemn It as Labor Exploitation
Gender-Specific Hiring Sparks Discrimination Controversy
Danggeun’s Job Posting Culture Under Scrutiny

Netizens are divided over a job posting that appeared on the part-time job board of the secondhand trading platform Danggeun. On the 19th, an online community shared a screenshot of a recent job ad posted on the "Danggeun Alba" board. The poster, identified as A, wrote, "Looking for someone to do the dishes, women only," and uploaded a single photo.

A job listing posted on the part-time job board of the secondhand trading platform Danggeun Market has divided netizens' opinions. Online community

The photo shows a sink filled to the brim with unwashed frying pans, pots, dishes, tumblers, and more. The dishes, still smeared with sauce, were piled high, suggesting a considerable amount of work. In the post, A explained, "There is no food waste left, and everything has been soaked in water," adding, "Since it's mostly large dishes, it should take about 20 to 30 minutes." The pay was set at 10,000 won per job, to be paid on the same day. A also added, "Only those who can come right now."

After seeing the post, many netizens criticized whether the pay was appropriate. Some reacted by saying, "You'd have to take everything out of the sink and separate it to wash; 20 to 30 minutes is impossible," "It will easily take an hour," and "Are they trying to hire a slave for 10,000 won?" Comments such as "If it were 10,000 won per dish, that would be acceptable," and "Save up 10,000 won each and buy a dishwasher," were also posted. On the other hand, there were not a few opinions that the criticism was excessive, arguing, "Whether the price is 10,000 won or 1,000 won, if you want to do it, you can contact them, and if not, you can just look at another post." They claimed that, given the nature of short-term gigs between individuals, this falls within the realm of voluntary contracts.

Furthermore, the fact that the job conditions specified only one gender also sparked controversy. Some netizens voiced concern, saying, "It looks dangerous to recruit only women without even stating their own gender," and "I hope students are not tempted to apply." Online, there were also criticisms that the post could be discriminatory. Under the current Equal Employment Act for Men and Women, it is prohibited to hire only a specific gender without a reasonable cause. However, whether short-term, one-off domestic work between individuals falls under the scope of the law can vary depending on the specific circumstances.

Meanwhile, this is not the first controversy surrounding Danggeun Alba. In the past, users have been warned over postings such as short-term physical labor jobs with hourly wages below the minimum wage, requests for personal information under the pretext of interviews, and ads that vaguely described the scope of cleaning or moving work. In some regions, cases of fraud disguised as errand part-time jobs have been shared, prompting calls to strengthen safety standards for transactions on the platform. Given that, as a neighborhood-based lifestyle platform, it frequently features small-scale, short-term job postings, disputes over the appropriateness of job conditions and safety issues are likely to continue in the future.