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Korea: Being Unemployed.
Written by: Global Voices
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Since the economic downturn began, being unemployed has become one of the topics netizens talk about. How do people cope with this situation? Aspan finds other way to enjoy being unemployed.
오늘로 백수가 ëœ ì§€ ë' ë‹¬ì„ ë„˜ê²¼ë‹¤. 지난해 11ì›" 17ì¼ë¶€ëŸ¬ 지난 10ë…„ê°„ 근무한 회사를 그만ë'게 ë˜ì-ˆë‹¤. ë‹¤ë‹ˆë˜ íšŒì‚¬ê°€ 서울로 ì´ì „ì„ í•˜ê²Œ ë˜ì-ˆê³ , ê·¸ 와ì¤'ì- ê³ í–¥ì¸ ì´ê³³ 대구를 ë– ë‚ ìˆ˜ ì-†ëŠ" ì²˜ì§€ì¸ ë‚˜ëŠ" ìžì-°ížˆ ì§ìž¥ì„ 그만ë'게 ëœ ê²ƒì´ë‹¤. 한편 막막한 ê¸°ë¶„ì´ ë"¤ì§€ ì•ŠëŠ" ê²ƒë„ ì•„ë‹Œë°, ê·¸ 반대로 아주 홀가분하다ëŠ" ê¸°ë¶„ë„ ë" 다. 사실 지난 10ë…„ê°„ 나름 ì-´ì‹¬ížˆ ì¼í–ˆìœ¼ë‹ˆ êµìˆ˜ë"¤ 안ì‹ë…„ì„ ê°€ì§€ëŠ" 것처럼 ì´ì œ 좀 쉬어야 ë˜ì§€ 않나 하ëŠ" ìžìœ„ì˜ ê°ì •ë„ í•œëª«ì„ í•˜ëŠ" 것 같다. 그래서 실지로 현재 잘 ì‰¬ê³ ìžˆë‹¤. ì¼ë‹¨ ë‚˜ì˜ ë°±ìˆ˜ìƒí™œì€ ê°€ì • ë‚´ì-ì„œì˜ ì-í• ì´ì „으로 ì‹œìž'ë˜ì-ˆë‹¤. ì§ìž'ë˜ë"¯ì´ ì§ìž¥ì¼ì„ 다시 ì‹œìž'하게 ëœ ì§'ì‚¬ëžŒê³¼ì˜ ì-í• ì´ ìžì-°ìŠ¤ë ˆ ë'¤ë°"뀌게 ëœ ê²ƒì´ë‹¤. 그러니까 ì§'ì•ˆì¼ íŠ¹ížˆ ì´ì œ 5ì‚´ê³¼ 3ì‚´ì´ ë˜ëŠ" ì• ë"¤ì„ ì „ì 으로 ì±…ìž„ì ¸ì•¼ 하ëŠ" 것ì´ë‹¤. 한창 ì-너지가 í발하ëŠ" ìš" ë' ë…€ì„ë"¤ì„ ë³´ëŠ" ì¼ì´ ì •ë§ ë§Œë§Œì¹˜ 않다ëŠ" ì‚¬ì‹¤ì„ ìƒˆì‚¼ ëŠë¼ë©´ì„œ ì´ë¥¸ë°" ‘그림ìžë…¸ë™â€™ì´ë¼ëŠ" 가사ì¼ì„ ë„맡게 ëœ ê²ƒì´ë‹¤. 오 기ì¨(?)ì´ì-¬!
It has
been two months since I became unemployed. From the 17th of November of last year, I quit the company I have worked for 10 years. The company moved to Seoul from my hometown, Daegu. It was impossible
for me to leave this place and therefore I had to quit my job. While I felt awkward, I felt freedom. I have worked hard for the last 10 years and I console myself that I have a sabbatical year like
professors. So, I take a nice rest. Since I’m unemployed, the family roles have been changing. As you can guess, my wife started working and our roles have switched. In other words, I
fully take the responsibility of housework, such as taking care of 3 years and 5 years old children. Now I acknowledge that it is not an easy job to take care of fully energized children and learn
what ‘shadow labor-household job’ is. How happy(?) I am!

 ì´ë ‡ê²Œ ë‚˜ì˜ ë°±ìˆ˜ìƒí™œì€ ì• ë"¤ê³¼ì˜ ì „ìŸìœ¼ë¡œ ì‹œìž'ë˜ì-ˆë‹¤. 그러나 ì• ë"¤ì„ 좋아하ëŠ" í„°ë¼ ë³„ ì–´ë ¤ì›€ ì-†ì´, ì• ë"¤ê³¼ 놀 수 있ëŠ" ì‹œê°„ì„ ë§Žì´ ê°€ì§€ê²Œ ë˜ì-ˆë‹¨ 것ì- ì˜¤ížˆë ¤ ìœ„ì•ˆì„ ëŠë‚€ë‹¤ê³ 나 í• ê¹Œ? 아무튼 ë‚´ 입장ì-ì„œëŠ" ì‹œìž'ì´ ìˆœì¡°ë¡œìš´ 것ì´ë‹¤. 그러나 ë¬¸ì œëŠ" ì˜ì™¸ì˜ ê³³ì-ì„œ 백수ìƒí™œì„ ê³ í†µì„ ëŠë¼ê²Œ ëœë‹¤ëŠ" 것ì´ë‹¤. ëŒ€ë¶€ë¶„ì˜ ì‹¤ì§ìžë"¤ì´ ì§ìž¥ì„ 그만ë'ê³ ë‚˜ì„œ 만나ëŠ" 첫 당혹ê°ì€ 실ì-…급ì-¬ë¥¼ 타러 가서 ëŠë¼ëŠ" 수치ê°ì´ë‹¤. ê·¸ 실ì-…급ì-¬ë¥¼ 받기 위한 êµìœ¡ì-ì„œ 당혹ê°ì„ 아니 ëŠë‚„ 수 ì-†ëŠ" 것ì´ë‹¤. 아니 실ì§í•œ ê²ƒë„ ì„œëŸ¬ìš´ë° ê·¸ê²ƒì„ ê·¸í† ë¡ ì²˜ì ˆí•˜ê²Œ ìƒê¸°ì‹œì¼œì¤€ë‹¨ ë§ì¸ê°€, 구걸하ëŠ" ê²ƒë„ ì•„ë‹ˆê³ ë§ì´ì§€, 시쳇ë§ë¡œ ì°¸ 기분 ë"러워지ëŠ" 것ì´ë‹¤. 2주간 한번ì"© 지급ë˜ëŠ" ê·¸ ë³´í-˜ê¸ˆì„ 타기 위해서, 공단ì-ì„œ ì¼ë°©ì 으로 ì§€ì •í•œ 시간ì- ì •í™•ížˆ 출ì„í•´ì„œ 2주간 구ì§í™œë™ì„ 검사를 받아야 í•˜ê³ , ê·¸ê²ƒì„ í†µê³¼í•œ 다ìŒì-야 비로소 실ì-…급ì-¬ë¥¼ ë°›ì„ ìˆ˜ 있ëŠ" 것ì´ë‹¤. 실ì-…급ì-¬ ìˆ˜ë ¹ê¸°ê°„ì´ ëª‡ë…„ì€ ëœë‹¤ëŠ", ê·¸ 권리를 당당히 ìš"구한다ëŠ" ì„œìœ ëŸ½ì- 비하면 ì•„ì§ í•œì°¸ì„ ë©€ì-ˆêµ¬ë‚˜ 하ëŠ" ìžê´´ê°ì„ ëŠë¼ë©° ê³ ìš©ì§€ì›ì„¼í„°ì˜ ë¬¸ì„ ë‚˜ì„œê²Œ ë˜ëŠ" 것ì´ë‹¤.Â ë˜ ë°±ìˆ˜ì˜ ë¹„ì• ë¥¼ ëŠë¼ëŠ" ê²ƒì€ ì£¼ë³€ì˜ ë"°ê°€ìš´ ì‹œì„ ë"¤ì´ë‹¤. ì• ë'˜ì˜ ê°€ìž¥ì´ ëí•˜ê³ ì§'ì- 틀어박혀 있나 하ëŠ" ì¼ì¢…ì˜ ë¬´ì–¸ì˜ ë"°ê°€ìš´ ì‹œì„ ì„ ëŠë¼ëŠ" ìˆœê°„ì˜ ë‹¹í˜¹ê° ë§ì´ë‹¤. “와, 새로운 ì¶©ì „ì„ ìœ„í•´ì„œ 좀 놀면 안 ë˜ë‚¨?â€ ê·¸ë¦¬ê³ ì‹¤ì§ í›„ 하다 못해 무슨 ì¹´ë"œë¥¼ 새로 만ë"¤ê¸° ìœ„í•´ì„œë„ ì „ì-ëŠ" 서로 만ë"¤ì–´ì£¼ë ¤ë˜ ê²ƒì„ ì§ìž¥ì´ ì-†ë‹¤ëŠ" ì´ìœ ë¡œ ê±°ì ˆë‹¹í• ë•Œ ë"±ë"± …… 우리 사회ëŠ" ì•„ì§ ë°±ìˆ˜ë"¤ì-ê² ë¶ˆíŽ¸í•œ ê³³ì´ë‹¤.
My unemployed life starts with a battle with children. I love my children. I feel happy to be able to have more time with them. My case to be unemployed is
not bad, therefore. But sometimes I feel painful to be unemployed in the moment I didn’t expect. Most unemployed people feel humiliation when they receive unemployment compensation.
They feel upset in workshop places where they can receive the compensation. We all know we lost jobs, but they painfully remind us in such a cruel way. We’re not begging, but it leads
us to be upset. In order to receive the compensation that is provided every two weeks, we have to go to a public place on time and have to show evidence of how hard we have looked for jobs for two
weeks. After passing, we can finally receive the unemployment compensation. I envy other European countries where people have rights to request the unemployment compensation for several years whenever
I come out of the employment supporting center. In addition, the moment when I feel sad is how other people look at me. The way they look at me, why the person who is supposed to be the breadwinner of
the family is stuck at home. “Can I take a rest for filling up new energy?â€Even when I try to make a credit card, I was rejected from companies that had begged me to
make cards before… Our society is not comfortable with the unemployed.
ê·¸ëŸ°ë° ë°±ìˆ˜ìƒí™œì´ ì´ëŸ° ë¹„ì• ë§Œ 있ëŠ" 것ì´ëƒ? ì´ëŸ° 불합리한 ë¬¸ì œì™€ 기타 ë"±ë"±ì˜ ë¹„ì• ë¥¼ ìƒì‡ í•˜ê³ ë„ ë‚¨ìŒì´ 백수ìƒí™œì-ëŠ" 있다. 나ì-ê² ë¬´ì-‡ë³´ë‹¤ 백수ìƒí™œê³¼ 함께 ê·¸ë™ì•ˆ 꿈ì-만 ê·¸ë¦¬ë˜ ì¼ë"¤ì„ 하나하나 해나가게 ëœ ê¸°ì¨ì´ í¬ë‹¤. 나ëŠ" ë"±ì‚°ì„ ì°¸ 좋아하ëŠ" 편ì¸ë°, ê·¸ë™ì•ˆ ì¼ì- 매ì-¬ì„œ ì‚°ì„ ì œëŒ€ë¡œ 오른 ê¸°ì–µì´ ê°€ë¬¼ê°€ë¬¼í• ì •ë„ì´ë‹¤. ê·¸ëŸ°ë° ì‹¤ì§ì„ 하ìžë§ˆìž í•œ 가장 ê¸°ìœ ì¼ì´ ë‚´ ê³ í–¥ ëŒ€êµ¬ì˜ ëª…ì‚° ì•žì‚°ì„ ì–´ë–¨ ë•ŒëŠ" ê±°ì˜ ë§¤ì£¼ 한번 ê¼´ë¡œ 오른 ì¼ì´ë‹¤. 사실 나ëŠ" 지난 10ë…„ê°„ì˜ ì§ìž¥ìƒí™œì˜ ì-¬ëŸ¬ 가지 ìŠ¤íŠ¸ë ˆìŠ¤ë¡œ ì¸í•´ 몸과 마ìŒì˜ ê±´ê°•ì´ ì•„ì£¼ 좋지 않았다. ì´ê²ƒì´ ì¼ì„ 그만ë'게 ëœ í•˜ë‚˜ì˜ ì´ìœ ê°€ ë ì •ë„ë¡œ 몸과 마ìŒì´ ë§Žì´ ì§€ì¹œ ìƒíƒœì˜€ëŠ"ë°, ì´ëŸ° 몸과 마ìŒì˜ ì‡ ì•½ì´ ì•žì‚° 산행으로 차차 회복ë˜ì–´ê°ì„ ëŠë‚€ ê²ƒì€ ë‚˜ì˜ í° ì¦ê±°ì›€ ì¤'ì˜ í•˜ë‚˜ì˜€ë‹¤.[…]
Then do I have sad experiences now? But they are something more than
that. Starting with the unemployed life, I have delights with things I have dreamt of doing. I liked hiking, but it was impossible to try due to my job. As soon as I lost my job, I can climb a
mountain in my hometown every week. I have been unhealthy due to stresses over work during the last 10 years. At present, it is my happiness to feel I am getting healthier. […]
While
some actually enjoy being in this situation, most of course do not. A book, Escape from Unemployment, about living as an unemployed person in Korea and about how to find jobs, is even published. It
is called a book of hope. And a poem…새벽 4시까지 ë¼ë""오를 ë"£ê³ ,
하루 ì¢…ì¼ ì»´í"¨í„°ë¥¼ 켜 ë†"아야 마ìŒì´ ë†"ì´ë©°,
문ë" 문ë" 불안해 하다가ë„
ì–´ëŠìˆœê°„ 아무 ìƒê°ì´ ì-†ëŠ" ë°"ë³´ê°€ ë˜ì–´ë²„린다.
í¬ë§ì´ ì-†ë‹¤.ìžê¾¸ë§Œ…미ì³ê°€ê³ 있다ëŠ" ìƒê°ì´ ë" 다.
ì´ëŒ€ë¡œ…다 ë나버릴것만 같다.í•™ì›ì- ê°€ëŠ" 길ì- í•ìƒ ì§€í•˜ì² ê³„ë‹¨ì- ì-Žë"œë ¤ 구걸하ëŠ" í• ì•„ë²„ì§€ë¥¼ 본다.
ì˜ˆì „ì-" 그런 사람ë"¤ì„ ë³´ë©´ ì°¸ 불ìŒí•˜ë‹¤ê³ ëŠê¼ˆì-ˆë‹¤.
하지만 지금 ëŠë‚Œì€ 좀 다르다.
ë‚˜ì˜ ëª¨ìŠµì´ ë ìˆ˜ë„ ìžˆë‹¤ëŠ" ìƒê°…
그런 ìƒê°ì´ ë"¤ì–´ì„œ
ë‚´ ìžì‹ ì´ ë¶ˆìŒí•˜ë‹¤ëŠ" ìƒê°ì´ ë" 다.
ë™ì •ì´ë¼ëŠ"ê±° 사치스런 ê°ì •ì´ì-ˆë‹¤ëŠ" ìƒê°ì´ ë" 다.ì˜ˆì „ì˜ ë‚˜ëŠ" ë§Žì€ ì‚¬ëžŒë"¤ê³¼ ë"불어 ë„ì›€ì„ ì£¼ë©´ì„œ ì‚´ê³ ì‹¶ì-ˆë‹¤.
ì´ì œëŠ"…남ì-게 í"¼í•´ì£¼ì§€ ì•ŠëŠ" ì‚¬ëžŒì´ ë˜ëŠ" 것ì´
ë‚˜ì˜ ìµœëŒ€ì˜ í¬ë§ì´ ë˜ì–´ ë²„ë ¸ë‹¤.
Listening to Radio by 4 am,
turning my computer on for whole day,
and being nervous,
I become a fool without thinking at all.
There is no hope. It seems that I am getting crazy.
I feel that everything is over. On the way to an institute, I saw an old man who begs on subway.
In the past, I felt sorry for those people.
But I have a different feeling now.
It could be me…
I feel sorry for myself.
I feel that even sympathy is a luxury. I wanted to live helping so many people before.
But now…My biggest hope is
not to bother other people.
View original post.
turning my computer on for whole day,
and being nervous,
I become a fool without thinking at all.
There is no hope. It seems that I am getting crazy.
I feel that everything is over. On the way to an institute, I saw an old man who begs on subway.
In the past, I felt sorry for those people.
But I have a different feeling now.
It could be me…
I feel sorry for myself.
I feel that even sympathy is a luxury. I wanted to live helping so many people before.
But now…My biggest hope is
not to bother other people.
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