Comedian Cho Hye-lyeon candidly shared her son Uju's realistic job-hunting worries and cheered him on as he leaves for overseas to take on a new challenge. The mother and son's determination to keep finding a way despite the harsh reality of youth employment has resonated with many.
On the 23rd, a video featuring Cho Hye-lyeon was released on the YouTube channel Moneygraph. In the video, while answering a letter about young unemployed people's concerns, she naturally brought up her son Uju's story.
Cho Hye-lyeon said firmly, "Not being able to get a job is not a crime. There simply aren't many places hiring right now." She went on to note, "Uju majored in game planning, but his graduation coincided with the coronavirus. Since then the industry environment has changed rapidly, making things difficult."
She especially revealed, "Uju really tried hard. It's not an exaggeration; he applied to about 40 places and was rejected by all of them," prompting sympathy. She emphasized that it was not a lack of effort but a shrinking hiring market.
Ultimately, Uju decided to go to Sydney on a working holiday to seek new opportunities. Cho Hye-lyeon calmly said, "He leaves for another country in three days. He's going to Sydney," while showing her support for her son's challenge.
Cho Hye-lyeon also offered heartfelt advice to young people. She said, "When you rest, rest well. You need to rest enough to gain the strength to get back up." However, she added with her characteristic pragmatic-mom tone that, "You don't have to live like a sinner while resting, but I hope you're not completely drained," which drew laughs.
Netizens reacted, "The fact that he applied to 40 places and still couldn't get in is the bigger problem," "I support Uju's new start," "You can feel Cho Hye-lyeon's sincerity," and "This really shows the reality young people face these days."
Rather than being frustrated by the barrier to employment at home, Uju chose a new stage. And Cho Hye-lyeon's faith in and support for her son's choice is delivering a warm resonance to many.
[Photo] OSEN DB, SNS
OSEN=Reporter Kim Soo-hyeong