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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

From Factory Worker to Caregiver: Kim Du-sook's Legacy of Resilience

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Kim Du-sook, now a 68-year-old caregiver, reflects on her difficult childhood marked by poverty and family hardship, including her father's visual impairment and her mother's relentless efforts to provide.
  • At 18, she became the sole breadwinner for her family, working at the Wonpung textile factory to support her ailing brother and father.
  • Her involvement in the democratic labor union movement at the factory offered her a sense of community and purpose, despite the harsh working conditions and eventual dismissal.

Kim Du-sook, now a 68-year-old caregiver, looks back on a life shaped by early hardship, resilience, and a fight for dignity through labor activism.

My mother's relentless efforts allowed us to buy a house and improve our living situation, but then my brother got sick.

— Kim Du-sookReflecting on the family's struggles and setbacks.

Her childhood was defined by poverty, exacerbated by her father's visual impairment, which made him unable to work. Her mother shouldered the burden, selling tofu and running a small eatery to support the family. Young Du-sook helped her mother, even delivering tofu on foot to military bases. The family faced further setbacks when her brother fell ill and her father's condition worsened, leading to immense financial strain and emotional turmoil.

At just 18, Kim Du-sook became the primary breadwinner after joining the Wonpung textile factory. She sent her meager wages home to support her ailing brother and father, foregoing personal desires for clothes or treats. Her dedication, alongside her mother's efforts, eventually led to her brother's recovery.

At eighteen, I became the sole breadwinner for the entire family.

— Kim Du-sookDescribing the weight of responsibility she carried at a young age.

At the factory, Kim found a sense of belonging and purpose through the democratic labor union movement. Despite the physically demanding work, noisy environment, and long hours, she discovered joy in activities like group discussions and traditional mask dance performances. She became a respected delegate within the union, finding warmth and camaraderie among her colleagues.

The labor union activities and mask dance troupe activities brought out all the hidden excitement in my heart that I never knew before.

— Kim Du-sookExpressing the joy and sense of fulfillment she found in activism.

However, her activism came at a cost. Her involvement in the YWCA 'fake marriage' incident in 1979, a pro-democracy event, led to her dismissal from the factory. This marked the end of a significant chapter, but her experiences forged a strong sense of solidarity and a lasting legacy of fighting for workers' rights.

The price of democratic labor union activities was harsh.

— Article TextIntroducing the consequences of her activism.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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