Aging Society 2

대한민국에서 젊은이로 사는 것은 힘든 일이다

하루종일 회사에서 시달리다 집으로 퇴근한다

집은 회사에서 1시간30분 가량 떨어져 있다

지하철을 타면 몸이 천근만근이다. 게다가 사람은 왜 이리도 많은지 이리 치이고 저리 치이다 보면 지친 몸은 더욱 녹초가 된다.

간신히 자리가 나서 그 자리에 앉으려면 그처럼 지친 사람들이 서로 앉으려고 눈치를 본다. 다들 내색은 안하려고 하지만 얼굴에 피로가 역력하다.

그렇게 서로의 눈치를 보면서 종점에 다가갈수록 생겨나는 자리를 하나둘 찾아 앉는다. 그도 간신히 자리에 앉는다. 달콤하다. 잠이 온다.

그렇지만 바로 다음역에서 한 노인이 탄다.

경로석이 저쪽에 있지만 이미 노인들로 만원이다.

그 노인은 당당히 그가 앉은 자리 앞에 선다.

눈치를 준다

'고얀놈. 젊은 놈이 자리 안 비키고 뭐해?'

고민이 된다. 당연히 자리를 양보해야 겠지만, 노인은 전혀 힘들어 보이지 않는다. 하루종일 일하다 지친 그와 매일 할일없이 노느라 쌩쌩한 노인중 누가 더 자리에 앉아야 할까?

일어서서 자리를 양보해야 할까?

결국 그는 자리를 양보하지만 내키지 않는 것이 표정에 드러난다.

노인은 형식적인 사양을 하다 자리에 앉는다

젊은이로 사는 것이 너무 힘들다.

이런 일이 한두번도 아니고 매일 일어난다면 어떻게 될까?

그가 사는 곳은 바로 그런 곳이다.

이 곳의 인구는 대부분이 노인들이다.

서울에서 탄 지하철이 종점갈때까지 노인들로 북적인다.

한마디로 달리는 노인정이다.

그러나, 이 곳은 다른 곳과는 좀 더 다르다.

다른 곳의 사람들이 인생을 얼마나 도전적이고 보람있게 살것인가를 고민한다면 이곳 사람들은 얼마나 편안하게 죽을 것인가를 생각한다.

얼마나 오래 살 것인가를 생각하는 것이 아니라 얼마후에 죽을 지를 고민한다.

마치 죽음을 기다리고 있는 것처럼.

편안한 노후를 보낸다는 것은 죽을때까지 편하게 지낸다는 것, 다시말하면 죽음을 기다리는 삶이다. 그들에겐 야망이나 도전같은 단어는 의미가 없다.

이들은 퇴직금으로 힘들게 일하지 않아도 죽을때까지 밥을 먹을 수 있는 방법을 찾는다. 그러다 보니 먹는 장사를 한다. 특별한 기술이 없어도 주방장을 고용해 장사하면 본전치기는 할 것이라는 생각이다. 그러나 그러다보니 온 동네가 다 식당이다. 그 식당도 개성이 있는 식당이 아니라, 다 똑같은 메뉴에 똑같은 품질의 음식들이다. 맛없는 것도 아니지만 그렇다고 돈 내가며 사먹고 싶은 생각이 드는 음식을 파는 것은 아닌 식당들.

일정 시간이 지나면 그 식당들이 문을 닫는다. 그리고 새로운 노인이 식당을 연다. 그들에게는 미래에 대한 도전이라는 것이 없다. 그저 어떻게 죽을 것인가를 고민할 뿐이다.

바로 죽음을 기다리는 도시다.

이곳은 죽음의 도시이다

길을 걷다 마주치는 사람의 90%가 노인이다.

30대 후반인 그가 어려보이는 것은 이 도시이기 때문에 가능하다

어쩌다 마주친 어린아이가 신기해 보인다.

그 아이가 옆에 있는 할머니에게 말한다.

'나 친구하고 놀고 싶어.'

그러나 그 아이의 바램을 이루어주기 어렵다는 것은 그 아이의 할머니도, 그도 알고 있는 사실이다.

죽을 날을 기다리는 이들의 얼굴에 활력이란 보이지 않는다.

그러나 그 죽을 날이 막연히 두려워, 많이 일하지 않아도 생계를 해결해 줄 일거리를 찾는다. 그래서 이 도시에는 같은 종류의 프랜차이즈 식당이 매일 문을 연다. 치킨, 분식, 피자등등. 그리고 그 메뉴도 한결같이 똑같다. 식당을 열면 비슷한 인테리어에, 비슷한 광고 전단에, 비슷한 메뉴에, 그런 가게가 매일 문을 열고 얼마 안되어 문을 닫는다. 매일 상조회사 직원들만, 119직원들만 바쁘게 오간다.

지하철을 타면 90%가 노인이다. 경로석 따위는 이미 가득찬지 오래다. 어쩌다 탄 젊은이들은 아예 자리에 앉을 생각을 하지 않는다. 잠깐 앉았다가도 곧 승차하는 노인들이 그 젊은이 앞에 서서 자리를 내놓으라는 눈짓을 하기 때문이다. 그 눈짓은 주변 사람 모두의 눈짓으로 변해 정작 출퇴근으로 피곤한 젊은이는 자리를 뺏기고 할일없이 지하철의 무임승차만 하는 노인들은 앉아서 간다. 심지어는 노인들끼리 자리다툼을 한다. 80먹은 노인이 70먹은 노인에게 노인을 공경하라고 말싸움을 한다. 젊은이들은 어안이 벙벙한 상태로 그들을 바라본다.

머리에 염색을 하고 성형수술로 주름을 편 노인들은 추해 보이기까지 한다. 마치 에이리언이 지구인으로 어색하게 변장이라도 한듯 주름진 노인의 손을 가진 팽팽한 얼굴의 노인은 흉칙해 보인다. 그 위에 색조화장이라도 한 할머니는 천박해 보이기까지 한다. 길을 걸을땐 온 힘을 다해서 허리를 펴고 걷지만 지하철에 타자마자 허리를 굽히고 노인으로 돌변한다. 그리고 자리에 앉고 난 후에는 다시 씩씩한 노인으로 변한다. 아직 늙지 않았다는 것을 강조하려는 듯, 그러나 늙은 몸으로서 누려야 할 사회적 대접은 포기할 수 없다는, 이중적 태도를 지닌다. 노인으로서 대접받고 싶지만 노인은 아닌 노인들. 오늘도 그들은 마치 좀비처럼 이 도시를 누빈다. 

A story about a F.FIRE tribe I know (5)

 

A story about a F.FIRE tribe I know (5)

Come to think of it, this was a story about my past...

A story that only poor people don't know

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC5lgb4X7a8&t=8s

It was long before I saw this, but I realized this myself through my own mistakes in life, and my life has changed completely since then.

Thank you YouTube.

Much better than a blog.



A story about a F.FIRE tribe I know (4)

 

A story about a F.FIRE tribe I know (4)

When I was 30, my parents wanted me to get married.

In the past, when the average life expectancy was around 60 years, life was just right if you got married in your 20s, finished raising your children in your 40s, retired in your 50s, and died shortly after living.

Then, as the average life expectancy passed 70 and entered the era of 80 and 100 years, people began to think that it would not be a problem to delay the stages of life by 20 or 30 years.

That is, getting married in your 50s, raising your children in your 70s, and dying in your 80s... Oh my.

But would there be any first-time couples who would want to marry such old people?

So, it wouldn't make sense... that's what I thought.

Anyway, at the time I didn't feel like it, but eventually I couldn't resist the encouragement from those around me and went on a few blind dates.

Through several blind dates and several meetings with the women I was matched with, I learned the following.

They didn't expect much from men.

He said he just had to be a little better than the average man, with average looks, average income, and average plans for the future.

The specific form of that average is that a man in his 30s owns a 30-pyeong apartment in Seoul, graduated from a 4-year university in Seoul with excellent grades, got a job at a large company, got promoted, and is now working at the level of assistant manager or higher, and his parents have enough money to live off of without any help from their children even after retirement... wow.

As it turned out, he wasn't the average man in South Korea, but a man in the top 1%.

So, what would I have been like?

I didn't expect much from the woman either. She just had to be a little better than the average woman, with average looks, average income, and average plans for the future.

The specific form of that average is a woman in her 30s who is over 165cm tall, has a slender body, a face that is at least as good as Kim Tae-hee or Kim Yuna, speaks at least one foreign language as fluently as I do, does all the housework on her own, knows how to cook well, raises children well, and takes good care of her husband... wow

As it turned out, she wasn't the average woman in South Korea, but a woman in the top 1%.

Since these men and women were on blind dates, there was no way the marriage would come to fruition.

Then, I thought, 'What would happen if I became the kind of man those women want and got married, even if it meant forcing myself to do so?'

At that time, in order for me to have a 30-pyeong apartment, even if it was difficult, I had to get a loan from the bank, work for 20 years to pay off the loan and interest, have children and educate them, and then retire in my 50s with not much money saved, open a chicken restaurant, and work there until I die... wow

Of course, I hated that kind of life.

So, I thought, 'What would happen if I delayed marriage by about 20 years?'

First of all, there was no need to buy an apartment of 30 pyeong. There wouldn't be any problem living alone in the single-person dormitory provided by the company.

Moreover, with my salary, I could afford to buy a small apartment of about 10 pyeong in the outskirts of Seoul, and I could pay off a small bank loan with the money I paid in monthly rent.

Since I'm not married and don't have any children, I'm too busy working to spend my salary, so more than 90% of it will automatically be saved, and if that continues, I could continue to add a small apartment every few years.

If 20 years pass like that, by the time you retire, it seems possible to live off of just the rental income from real estate without any labor income.

When I thought about it this way, I even thought that if I couldn't get married, it would be better not to get married at all.

Rather than forcing myself to live a life I didn't like and then dying, it seemed better to live a life the way I wanted to, even if it seemed inadequate to others.

Time passed so quickly like an arrow.

Those years gave me small, unexpected opportunities, and the wealth I had accumulated through those opportunities became the foundation for my rapid growth.

My marriage to a foreign woman, who didn't mind the big age difference, gave me a child, and so, although it was late, I now have ample wealth, a family, and a comfortable retirement.

I think that the wise decisions I made when I was young have made me the comfortable person I am today, and when I think back to myself then, I feel proud of myself.

I am Fully, Financially Independent and retired early.



A story about a certain F.FIRE tribe I know (3)

 

A story about a certain F.FIRE tribe I know (3)

On my way back from my friend's parents' funeral, I met a beggar.

I don't usually have any need to use cash, but that day I had some in my pocket to pay the subsidy.

My pockets were also full of coins from buying this and that.

For fear of traffic congestion, I took the subway, a long-standing habit of office workers.

Then I saw a beggar at the subway entrance.

To lighten my pockets, which were heavy with coins, and also because I felt bad about giving only coins, I put the tens of thousands of won bills I had into the begging bowl.

It wasn't the tinkling sound of one or two coins, but a heavy 'thud' sound.

At that moment, the beggar who had been burying his head in the ground looked up.

Embarrassed, I tried to pass by, but he grabbed my trouser leg,

"Thank you. You will be blessed," he said.

His expression was unforgettable.

It was small change to me, but it was enough to pay for several days' worth of food to him.

In the past, I was so focused on collecting money that I never thought about how to spend it once I earned it.

But once I actually raised 10 billion, I got bored.

What's the use of collecting things without being able to use them all if you die?

The chaebol leaders are always busy managing that much money.

Because we have to hold executive meetings every day, pay employees' salaries, and obtain a lot of government permits for business.

But a small-time rich person like me is not that busy.

So from that day on, I started to think seriously but slowly about where I should spend my money.

Among the people I know, there are some whose hobby is shopping.

They adorn themselves with luxury bags like Chanel bags, luxury cars like Porsches, and luxury clothes like Prada jackets.

But sometimes I get confused whether they are the owners of the luxury goods or whether the luxury goods are the owners of those people.

I bought a Chanel bag to carry cosmetics in, but I'm afraid it'll get scratched, so I carry an empty bag instead of putting anything in it.

Or, you buy a Porsche to commute to work quickly, but you don't drive it because you're afraid of scratches, so you just leave it in the parking lot and take selfies.

I bought a Prada jacket to wear while hiking, but I was afraid it would get caught on tree branches and get torn, so I just kept it in the closet and wore different clothes when I went hiking.

People who have become slaves to those luxury goods... How pitiful.

That's why I buy used.

Install an app that allows you to trade used items among the many apps on your smartphone, and buy used computers, tablets, laptops, and even cars.

It's cheap and there's no burden.

It's used so it breaks down easily?

These days, the quality is so good that there aren't many things like that.

But if it breaks or you get tired of it, you can just sell it used.

There is no burden at all.

So, there is no need to worry about becoming a slave to those things.

And I decided to donate the money I saved.

Since it wasn't a huge amount of money like a big company, I wanted to do it quietly and quietly.

But when I looked at things like YouTube, I realized that it was really difficult.

I want to help orphans and poor people, but my money goes to orphanage directors and nursing home directors.

And after deducting various expenses, only about half of the money I gave went to the orphans and elderly who really needed it.

In the SNS photos of orphanage directors and nursing home directors, you can see photos taken while traveling abroad, wearing luxury clothes, and holding a luxury bag in one hand.

I couldn't believe them.

Why else would Elon Musk say he would donate to the UN to solve hunger only if the process of transferring money was transparent?

After much thought, I went to a free cafeteria.

Pastors, monks, and priests were providing free food with volunteers.

I pretended to get food, joined the waiting line, and asked the volunteers questions.

He said he could only distribute food to a few hundred people a day because he didn't have enough money to buy groceries.

They said that even then, prices had risen and the number available for distribution had decreased.

I went to Majang-dong that way.

I explained the situation to a wholesaler I knew from my work days and asked him to send the remaining meat to a free cafeteria.

Purchased by the truckload and paid in advance.

I asked him to divide it into portions and send it regularly, as it would be difficult to store if I sent too much at once.

The wholesaler was a generous person and was happy to do so.

A few days later, I went to that free cafeteria.

There was a meat side dish included.

I smiled a smile that only I knew and turned around with a proud heart.

Then one of the volunteers I had asked around before recognized me and whispered behind my back.

'Thank you. Thanks to you, I can share more.'

How did you remember my face?

But it felt good.

'I'll go to Garak Market today and send it in the same way. I'll come back next time to check if the delivery was done properly.'

I answered with a smile.

I'm not one of those poor FIRE people who barely made enough to live on.

I said I did FIRE, but I'm not a selfish FIRE person who only thinks about living for myself.

I am Fully Financially Independent, so I retired early.



A story about a certain F.FIRE tribe I know (2)

 

내가 아는 어떤 F.FIRE족의 이야기 (2)

In retrospect, I was lucky.

At least I got a job where I got a salary if I worked hard.

Moreover, I was able to commute to work while living at my parents' house.

Among my peers who came up to Seoul from the countryside, there were many who had no money left after paying rent, management fees, food, and student loans with their small salaries.

So I was able to save more than 90% of my salary.

I stayed away from people who liked to smoke.

It's not my problem if I, a smoker, die early because of cigarettes; it's my problem.

But I didn't want to get involved in his personal problems by being a passive smoker.

Even though I worked in the same workplace as them, I stayed away from people who liked to drink.

People who like to drink said that if they were good at entertaining their bosses, they would be able to get promoted easily and get into a good department.

But still, I stayed away from them.

Such people couldn't save money until they got married because they had to pay for alcohol.

In fact, most of the money they spent ended up in the pockets of the bar madam's husband.

No matter what my boss told me to do, I would stop immediately after work hours and leave work on time. Instead, I never showed up late or was absent, and I focused only on work during work hours without making excuses.

Meals were always taken care of at the cafeteria.

If you go out for lunch and come back, the 60 minutes for lunch will pass by quickly, but if you eat at the cafeteria, it will only take 15 minutes.

So I maintained my regular work schedule without having to work overtime.

So, my work performance was better than that of my colleagues who worked overtime.

After work, I always looked for a place to move to that would pay me better.

I thought this was a truly American way of thinking.

At the time, companies admired the American job-hopping culture, but they were unable to abandon the Japanese work style, which had already lost its bubble.

I never listened to my boss or CEO telling me to have a sense of ownership in the company.

After all, these companies weren't offering Japanese-style lifetime employment.

From the beginning, I never thought I would work at the same company until I retired, getting a few more pennies in salary through promotion.

Behind me, I could hear my boss and colleagues gossiping about me like this.

But they disappeared from my life after a few years anyway.

In a time when companies were failing and society was in upheaval, the opinions of those who were being left behind were not important.

So I saved up money little by little and even got a bank loan to buy a small apartment on the outskirts of Seoul.

And that was only after three years of getting a job.

And I paid rent for that house.

Even if the company I was working for went bankrupt, I could live off the rent from this apartment until I found my next job.

At the same time, I got a job abroad.

I went to work at a remote foreign branch of a Korean company.

Since there were no Koreans willing to work in remote areas, it was easy to change jobs, and there were even many allowances added to the salary.

A few years later, he added the money he had saved to a bank loan and bought another small apartment.

And I paid rent for that apartment again.

I never bought a car.

I also stayed away from people who buy cars.

In fact, since my main place of work is abroad, even if I buy a car in Korea, it will just sit in the parking lot for months.

By not buying a car, we save millions of dollars every year.

Because there was no need to pay for gas, repairs, insurance, or any other fees.

Even when dating, I always stayed away from women who were wasteful compared to how much money they earned.

I stayed away from women who went to famous restaurants and spent a lot of money buying souvenirs when dating.

I would definitely reject any woman who graduated from a prestigious women's university but said she didn't want to get her hands wet.

Instead, I chose a woman who does not deny but acknowledges her family's poverty and her own shortcomings, and who confidently strives to develop herself and saves money.

Even if they were relatives, I stayed away from people who sold insurance.

Insurance companies consider insurance purchased by people in their 20s and 30s as pure profit.

Conversely, insurance companies consider insurance for seniors in their 70s a net loss.

Knowing this, I never signed up for insurance.

It's better to save up for insurance premiums.

Then came the C19 pandemic, which started with Wuhan pneumonia.

I got a hint while talking to a foreign banker I met while working abroad.

It was a story about his Middle Eastern clients who made money during the 2008 financial crisis.

I immediately invested all the money I earned by collateralizing my apartment into stocks.

Half in dividend stocks, the other half in growth stocks.

And they have brought me a lot of profit.

In addition, the price of apartments that had been owned for a long time more than tripled.

Various government notices were sent to my company's office in Korea, addressed to me abroad.

When my boss realized that I was richer than him and the executive director of my department, he couldn't give me any orders.

I didn't even dare to nag him about work-related matters.

I no longer need to go to work.

I had to leave that company on my own to put my bosses at ease.

I am not one of the so-called N-jobbers, a pseudo-FIRE tribe who say they have FIRE but still have to work to make a living.

Even though I did FIRE, I am not one of those poor FIREs who have little savings and have to survive on minimal food expenses.

I am Fully Financially Independent, so I retired early.