The post resonates because quitting a prestigious chaebol job is one of the most taboo decisions a young Korean adult can make, and a parent responding with *support* instead of rage is genuinely shocking to most Koreans. It's going viral as a rare, wholesome counterpoint to the intense pressure-cooker culture around elite employment in Korea.
okay so this post is going absolutely viral and honestly?? I get it.
Someone posted the KakaoTalk message their mom sent after they told her they were thinking about quitting their job at a major Korean conglomerate — like, a *big* one, the kind Korean parents brag about at every family gathering. Shift work, brutal hours, the whole deal. And instead of the expected "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND" nuclear response that most Korean kids would get... their mom sent something genuinely kind and supportive. Like, actually told them their happiness matters more than the job title.
For context: landing a job at a *daegieop* (대기업) — one of Korea's top-tier conglomerates like Samsung, SK Hynix, Hyundai — is basically the Korean Dream. Parents spend *years* investing in their kids' education specifically to get them through those front doors. So when someone says they want to walk away from that, most families do NOT take it well. The social pressure is unreal.
The comments are going feral because this mom understood the assignment fr fr. While half of Korean internet is debating whether the company might be SK Hynix (semiconductor money is DIFFERENT, bestie), the other half is just sitting with the fact that some people's parents would've gone full villain arc over this. One commenter literally said they collapsed at work from health issues and got cursed out by their family for quitting. The contrast is sending everyone.
This mom said "your wellbeing > your salary" and the internet is not okay. Not all heroes wear capes. Some send KakaoTalk messages at 11pm. 😭
🇰🇷 KOREAN REACTIONS 10
bro you better treat your mom like the QUEEN she is 😭🫡
a cool AND *correct* parent. rare species. protect her at all costs.
wait is this SK Hynix tho 👀
at least wait for the bonus payout before you dip 💀
even if it's a chaebol job, shift work will destroy you. there's a reason Hyundai office positions are so coveted lmaooo
fr fr even good money can't fix a job that's slowly killing you. depression treatment costs more than the salary anyway 😭
my guy collapsed at work from health issues and his family cursed him out for quitting. I'm not okay. that's genuinely so heartbreaking 😭😭
a parent who would've said 'suck it up it's SK Hynix' wouldn't have sent this message in the first place. the bar is on the floor but she cleared it with grace ✨
breathing alone at that company is like 4 million won a month pre-tax. BRO. 💀
ah mom... 🥺🥺