A mother from Daechi-Dong, a neighborhood in Gangnam infamous for its competitive schools and cram schools, is going viral.
The mother in a post states she is hiring someone to sit with her son at a study cafe and wake him up if he falls asleep.
The post uploaded on May 2 to online communities stated that the mother would pay an hourly rate of (krw)3000(/krw) for the study buddy.
The mother stated she was the parent of a first-year High School student in Daechi-Dong and that she was looking for someone who would sit next to her son and wake him up if he fell asleep.
I am looking for someone to wake my son up at a study cafe. All you have to do is sit next to him and wake him up when he falls asleep. If you feel he needs to sleep, let him sleep for 15 minutes then, wake him up. Please check to see if he gets 10 minutes of rest every hour and if he studies after his rest.
—Mother of student
The job did come with certain conditions, such as the employee should not get up from their seat often, nor should he make noises typing unless the son is taking his online courses, and he should not watch any media.
Netizens wrote, “This might work for someone who wants to study while working,” “You should at least pay minimum wage,” “There are too many conditions for this to be worth it,” and “I feel bad for her son.”
The job post highlights how competitive school is for Koreans, especially those living in Daechi-dong.
The glitzy neighborhood has become synonymous with overbearing mothers who will go to far lengths for their children to get into the best schools.
The 2018 hit drama Sky Castle is based on Daechi-dong and its mothers. The drama is about mothers who will do anything to ensure their children get into the best schools and colleges.
