"It's Not Just a Piece of Paper" Jihyun Park, Who Worked at Coupang, Now Ventures into Self-Employment

"My Politics Will Start at the Cash Register, Not in the Meeting Room"

"Youth Need Politicians to Step Into Everyday Life, Not Offer Lectures"

Jihyun Park, former Emergency Response Committee Chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, who recently garnered attention for publicly sharing her experiences working part-time jobs such as at Coupang and delivering vegetable juice, is set to venture into self-employment.

On July 1, Park posted on her social networking service (SNS), "Today, I registered my business. At last, I am entering the life of a self-employed person." The photos she posted alongside the message show Park holding her business registration certificate.

She shared her thoughts, saying, "Starting a business under my own name makes me both nervous and excited," adding, "At the same time, I can feel the real pressure of having to pay monthly rent and taxes, and of having to welcome customers." Park further commented, "What I used to view from afar or only consider as policy has now become a matter of survival that I am directly involved in."

Jihyun Park, former Emergency Response Committee Chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea. Facebook capture

What prompted her to directly register as a business owner and start her own business? Park explained, "Friends of mine who run their own businesses said that, starting last month, customers have suddenly stopped coming. Even a friend working at a large corporation says he was passed over for promotion due to the influx of new hires and cannot eat properly," adding, "That anxiety has now become a question that politics must answer."

She went on to say, "As time passed, I realized that young people were not simply waiting for a young politician, but for someone who understands and takes responsibility for their lives," emphasizing, "Young people who are worried about tomorrow’s rent and jobs do not want catchy slogans but a safety net for their lives."

She continued, "The universal value shared by youth is not a grand ideology but a yearning for fairness," and added, "Politics should not try to lecture or teach young people, but should step directly into the field of their lives and listen to their stories."

Park stated, "The business registration certificate I received is not just a single piece of paper. Now, if sales decrease, I feel anxious too; if the rent goes up, I worry; if taxes increase, I too will be crunching the numbers," adding, "I will walk right into the midst of the tough realities facing young people. The starting point of my politics will not be a conference room, but the cash register, the ledger, and the daily sales."

Meanwhile, Park previously made headlines for sharing her experience working at a Coupang logistics center in September of last year, and in November of the same year, for posting a vlog documenting her part-time job delivering vegetable juice, thus personally experiencing the livelihoods of young people.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.