Delivery Rider Aims for City Council Seat, Championing the '2 Million Won Generation'

In Cheongju, a voice for the marginalized is emerging from an unexpected place: the back of a delivery motorcycle. Gil Han-saem, a 34-year-old Justice Party candidate for the Cheongju City Council, isn't your typical politician. He's a delivery rider, a '2 million won-er' as the derogatory slang goes, and he's running on a platform of 'rebellion' for those who feel left behind by society.

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We need a world where people can dream of a future even if they earn 2 million won. I want to talk about the lives of young people living today and those who have less.

Gil, who previously worked as a teacher and construction worker, has been a delivery rider for four years. As the head of the Chungbuk chapter of the Riders Union, he's also been instrumental in establishing a rest center for mobile workers in Cheongju. He points out that most delivery riders in the city earn only the minimum wage after expenses, facing harsh working conditions. He argues that the government needs to develop policies that address the needs of this growing sector, along with other non-traditional workers like freelancers and the self-employed.

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Although the term '2 million won-er' is not pleasant to hear, I don't want to avoid it. The important thing is that it should be a livable world even if you earn 2 million won, but our society is not like that. I am running to speak for the 80% of ordinary citizens whose actual income is less than 3 million won.

His concerns extend beyond his immediate profession. Gil criticizes the massive bonuses given to employees at semiconductor companies, stating that such windfalls create a sense of relative deprivation for young people like himself. He believes these successes are built on the collective efforts and sacrifices of subcontracted workers, society, and the nation, and calls for mechanisms to share these profits more broadly.

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Most delivery riders in Cheongju earn around 2 to 3 million won per month after deducting fuel and insurance costs, but the working conditions are too poor.

Furthermore, Gil is actively involved in seeking truth and accountability for the Osong disaster, where 14 people died in 2023. He feels the aftermath of the tragedy is ongoing, with no proper investigation, punishment, or preventative measures in place. His campaign promises include enacting a basic life safety ordinance, establishing a dedicated body to handle workplace bullying, and expanding free public transportation. Gil acknowledges the difficulty of winning in a two-party system but approaches the election with the mindset of a 'trainee city councilor,' determined to deliver the will of the citizens.

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The multi-billion won bonuses at Samsung Electronics and Hynix give young people like me a sense of relative deprivation.