”4.5 million won a month, no regrets” - 28-year-old man who dropped out of college to drive a bus (South Korea)

The special story of a 28-year-old man who became a city bus driver is becoming a hot topic.
An interview with city bus driver Seo Ki-won has once again attracted attention online. After completing his military service and dropping out of college in his early 20s, he began working as a bus driver.
The reason he dropped out of college was because he felt there was no need to pay the high tuition fees. He said, "I didn't have any special dreams to begin with. I was just moving from one part-time job to another.
"But when I didn't know what I should do, my father suggested I try being a bus driver. My father was a taekwondo instructor and had an acquaintance who was currently a bus driver."
He obtained a large vehicle license and a bus driver's license. After that, he gained experience driving a shuttle bus at Everland Zoo in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do for a year.
He started working as a city bus driver about two years ago. "At first, I didn't have a good view of bus driving. When I think of bus drivers, I think of people who drive roughly, have bad personalities, and are bad at what they do," he said.
"I thought that only people with nothing to do that would do it," he said, "but when I looked into it, I found that that was all in the past. Nowadays, there are many drivers with good personalities and they are well paid."
He also revealed his monthly salary while working as a bus driver. He said, "This is my first time here, and my monthly salary increases every six months, one year, and two years.
"Normally, you would receive 2.7 to 2.75 million won (US$2,880 to US$2,940) at first. After six months, you would receive 3 million to 3.1 million won (US$3,200 to US$3,300)," he said.
He went on to say that he would start receiving his salary in earnest after two years, saying, "Once the two-year period is over, I will receive 4 million won (US$4,270) unconditionally. After that, I will receive 4 million won (US$4,270) unconditionally.
If you work on holidays or public holidays such as New Year's Day, you can receive a special work allowance of up to 4.3 million to 4.5 million won (about 460,000 to 480,000 yen)." However, after two years,
He added that after that, he would receive regular raises of 50,000 to 60,000 won (about 5,000 to 6,000 yen) every year. He said that by gaining experience in city buses, he would be able to take on better bus services such as airport buses.
He cited the advantage of being a bus driver as being able to change jobs to a company that is easy to get a job at. On the other hand, he cited the disadvantages of being a bus driver as being ▲having to wake up early ▲the possibility of falling asleep while driving causing accidents.
He said, "Adults ask, 'Why would you want to become a bus driver at such a young age?' 'You've taken on many challenges, and when you're older, you'll have the chance to do something about it.'"
It's not too late,' he said, adding, "However, even while working as a bus driver, I have never once regretted choosing this path."
She also said, "Whenever I was at a crossroads in life, my father was my lighthouse, and he also showed me this path."
My hobbies and skills are suited to this kind of work, so I'm always able to take pride in my work."