[EPN Enpinow reporter Go Nari] Shim Jin‑hwa opened up on MBN’s talk show ‘Sokpulisho Dongchimi’ about the grueling part‑time work she did to pay for college.
In a preview clip of the April 29 episode, Shim spoke candidly under the show’s theme, “Where does earning money end?” about the jobs she took on while trying to make ends meet.
A theater and film major, Shim said she faced a heavy financial burden and pieced together her tuition through a string of part‑time jobs.
She worked at a pub during the semester, but the pay wasn’t enough. During breaks, she took a cleaning job at a motel in Gampo, between Ulsan and Gyeongju, to earn more.
Although Gampo is a tourist town, it was quiet, and the job included room and board plus more than 1,000,000 KRW a month (about $750), so she took it. Tuition at the time was 3,000,000 KRW (about $2,250), and she said she had no choice but to work.
Shim cleaned motel rooms throughout the winter break and endured a difficult stretch. Though the busy period from Dec. 24–31 doubled her hourly pay, she said she couldn’t enjoy Christmas or the year‑end at all.
She even agreed to give up her room for extra income and ended up living in a storage room, she confessed. The memory of cleaning alone and crying while everyone else celebrated still feels vivid.
Photo: Shim Jin‑hwa, MBN ‘Sokpulisho Dongchimi’
Photo: Shim Jin‑hwa, MBN ‘Sokpulisho Dongchimi’
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