Fast food fulfills dreams in aging society
One thing Shin Jeong-ok, a team leader at a McDonald’s restaurant in Seoul’s Seongbuk District, enjoys about her job is being looked up to by friends and acquaintances in their 60s and older. In Korea, where the population is rapidly aging, seniors face increasingly fierce competition for employment as they outnumber younger job seekers. As of this year, more than 11 million people in Korea, or…
In Seoul's Seongbuk District, a McDonald's restaurant provides employment and a sense of pride for many seniors in Korea's rapidly aging population. Team leader Shin Jeong-ok, at 63 years old, enjoys the respect she garners from friends and acquaintances in their sixties and beyond. With the country's population aging rapidly, seniors now outnumber younger job seekers.
As of this year, over 11 million individuals in Korea, or 21.6% of the population, are aged 60 or older. Many of these baby boomers, born between 1955 and 1963, are entering retirement and seeking jobs. However, age-related health issues and physical limitations often limit their employment opportunities. For Shin, working five days a week at McDonald's Jongam SK branch is a hard-earned position she began in her early 50s.
She finds it difficult to imagine a life without this job, as evidenced by the envy expressed by her neighbors and friends when she tells them about her role at McDonald's.
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- Fast food fulfills dreams in aging society koreatimes.co.kr
