Former lawmaker Kim Eun-hee, a former tennis player who served as a proportional representative of the People Power Party in the 21st National Assembly, shared how she had to maintain her livelihood through part-time work. Kim noted, "I wanted to show that if you try, you can definitely overcome it."
On the 13th, Kim stated on her Facebook, "It took a lot of courage and time to write this." She added, "After finishing my term as a lawmaker in May last year, I returned as a tennis coach in June, but I couldn't focus on my main job as a tennis coach because I ran for the People Power Party's national convention in July." She recalled, "The tennis business became increasingly difficult, and by the time I properly assessed the financial situation, it was already at a point where it could not operate."
She said, "In a financial situation that was not improving, worries and anxiety led to insomnia, and since I was going to be awake anyway, I thought I might as well earn some money during that time by looking for early morning part-time jobs." She mentioned, "During the early hours without lessons and working part-time at a convenience store on weekends as a Coupang helper, I endured desperately." She added, "In that lifestyle, there were mostly weeks where I was awake for more than 30 hours at least 2-3 days, and there were days where I couldn't sleep for up to 84 hours."
Kim confessed that the title of "former lawmaker" was too heavy and overwhelming. Kim succeeded the National Assembly seat from lawmaker Heo Eun-ah, who was a proportional representative of the People Power Party and joined the Reform Party after leaving the party on January 5 last year, serving in the position for 146 days until May 29 of the same year. She shared, "Thanks to the support and interest of those who have cheered me on until now and my family, I have been able to run hard, and now the tennis business has improved to the point where I cannot work part-time on weekdays."
Lastly, Kim stated, "Those who make great efforts and labor for a better future should receive greater rewards and opportunities, and the state and all citizens should offer warmth with a kind hand to those in vulnerable situations." She added, "If you are grateful that you can do something instead of being frustrated by not having anything, today and tomorrow can be happy."
In June 2018, Kim revealed that she was sexually assaulted by a coach during her elementary school years, initiating the first "Me Too" movement in sports. The perpetrator ultimately received a 10-year prison sentence and an order to pay 100 million won in damages from the Supreme Court, and Kim was recruited as a young talent by the People Power Party.