Poor Job Market Leaves Little Time for Idealism
Kim Seung-hyun, and Baek Il-hyun
Kim Seung-hyun, and Baek Il-hyun. 2004. “Poor Job Market Leaves Little Time for Idealism.” JoongAng Daily, October 30, 2004.
ast in a series. October 30, 2004 — Ms. Yim, an 18-year-old who is now a freshman at Ewha Womans University, did not hesitate to enroll at a hagwon, a private educational institute, during the winter break last year when she received an acceptance letter from the school.
She studied Chinese before the spring semester started. Though she was an economics major, she said she wanted to learn Chinese because it would help her to get a job four years later.
Besides spending 30 minutes every night memorizing English vocabulary words, she promised herself that she would obtain a qualification certificate on Chinese characters, keep meeting foreign exchange students — because it would help her when she goes abroad to get her MBA later — but would not fall in love with anybody until she graduates and finds a decent job.
For students here, entering college has just become another start of a race for jobs in Korea. The Education Ministry said that among 36 universities in Seoul, only 60 percent of new graduates were employed this year.
“The generation now in its late 30s lived in an era when the nation’s economy kept growing and jobs were plentiful,” said Seol Dong-Hoon, a sociology professor at Chonbuk National University. “But it isn’t like that for students now. Some say they should take a broader view like their seniors, who had wider interest in social problems, but the reality for the younger generation is different from theirs.”
Some parents jumped into the job search for their children as well. About 400 parents whose children attended Yonsei University met together regularly to exchange the latest news on job opportunities.
A mother whose son is a law student at Yonsei said, “I feel foolish to have to look after a college boy, but what else can I do when he is having such a hard time?” She said parents invited professors and successful bar examination candidates to provide tips. by Kim Seung-hyun <shyun@joongang.co.kr>, Baek Il-hyun <keysme@joongang.co.kr>
