Hidden attractions visited by Koreans

  I. Before the Injury This was my very first attempt. I once ran a full marathon in the past and got injured, “Can I really finish this? If only I don’t get injured, I’ll make it to the end…” I doubted myself before the race, and even on race day. Passing the 20 km mark, I thought, “My legs already feel heavy… can I really make it to the finish?” Between 20 and 30 km, my pace started to drop and I kept wondering, “Are my legs getting heavier and heavier?” From 30 to 40 km there was a hill. On a normal day I would have run up it, but this time I walked. Going downhill, I was careful not to overload my legs. The heaviness in my legs eased, and I started to feel better. When I reached 40 km, I got a little excited. “Maybe… maybe I can really finish this.” From 40 to 54 km, that excitement turned into poison. I pushed too hard uphill and went into overpace. I didn’t feel...

mid-career · late 40s Now that I'm in my late 40s, promotions are hard and job changes feel blocked. I regret not preparing for my own business, and delayed paychecks are forcing me to look at my life all over again. This is an honest story about the reality many mid-career office workers face. In My Late 40s, My Paycheck Starts Getting Delayed reflection I worked hard all my life, but at some point the direction of my life started to drift. Whenever I see young CEOs, a question pops up in my mind: “What have I really done with my life up to this age?” It’s not that I didn’t work hard. I thought deeply about my job and always gave my best. I believed that if I worked hard, both the company and I would do well, but the reality I’m facing in my late 40s is completely different from that belief. Changing jobs isn’t easy anymore, and I don’t have the capit...

Before Submitting My Resignation I was exhausted. I kept thinking, “I want to quit.” I even uploaded my resume. I did get contacted here and there. But I was scared. At 45, could I really adapt to a new organization? That question stayed with me. I even met my brother-in-law, who works in electrical work at construction sites, and asked him what the job was like. Deep down, I felt, “Anywhere is fine, as long as there’s no people stress.” But I didn’t have the confidence to start work I had never done before. The days of forcing myself to go to work continued. As my heart grew heavier, my body started to feel worse as well. Then, just when things felt like they might truly fall apart, by some stroke of luck, I was accepted by a company that was just getting started. Submitting My Resignation, and What I Felt Just having a place to go felt so good. Of course, it was a start-up. And that came with risk. Still, I thought, “As long...

I. Accidentally Encountering the Middle-Class Standard I happened to come across a definition of what it means to be middle class. Owning a 30-pyeong apartment with no mortgage, earning 5 million KRW per month, owning a 2,000cc or larger car outright, holding at least 100 million KRW in cash, and taking one overseas trip per year. “Many people have worked hard all their lives, yet far more fail to reach this standard. The ‘wall of the middle class’ we experience is higher than we expect.” I managed to own a 30-pyeong apartment only at the age of 52 . With dual income, we barely finished paying off the loan. Now I survive running a small business on my own. My income fluctuates, my car is a compact one, I have almost no cash, and while I traveled once last year and once this year, it has become difficult now that we rely on a single income. ...

I would like to share why I decided to leave a company I had worked for over 11 years, at the age of 45. In my 30s, I would sometimes talk to my wife about how hard work was. But once I reached my mid-40s, I stopped doing that. I didn’t want to worry her. After struggling quietly on my own for about three months, it started to show—on my face and in my behavior. In the end, my wife couldn’t stand watching anymore and told me to quit. She asked how anyone could live like that. But she also made one condition: we still had to live, so even if it was a small amount, I needed to bring home a paycheck. I didn’t quit right away after hearing that, but strangely enough, her words were a great comfort. I decided that I would leave no matter what, as long as there was a place that paid me something. It was unsettling, but I got an opportunity to join a startup that was just beginning, and I submitted my resignation. At First, It Was a Company I Wanted...

50km Course Overview I did a 50km LSD run ahead of my 100km ultra marathon. Humidity was around 80%, temperature 29°C, strong sunlight, and plenty of hills. The 100km ultra marathon will be held on Saturday, September 27, at 5:00 PM. Conditions on race day are expected to be better than now—lower temperature and humidity, running at night with no direct sunlight, and fewer severe hills. Because of that, although this was “only” 50km, it was said to be comparable to a 70–80km effort. The run started near Ssanggaeul on Anyang Stream. After passing Hakui Stream and reaching Baegun Lake, it’s about 6.5km. Confidence was still overflowing. After looping widely around Baegun Lake next to Lotte Outlet, the distance reached 10km. There were some hills already, my clothes were soaked with sweat, and I started thinking, “Can I really make it to 50km?” Passing Anyang–Pangyo Road, I turned onto the hill section known as Dokkaebi Road and Haogae Pass. The highe...