"Over 2 Years, Guaranteed Salary Over 4 Million Won"… 28-Year-Old Bus Driver Who Dropped Out of University

Bus Driver's Story Gains Spotlight After September YouTube Appearance
Started With a Monthly Salary of 2.7 Million Won After Dropping Out of University

The story of a young man who became a city bus driver at the age of 28 is gaining attention.

On the 12th, an interview with Seo Gi-won, a city bus driver in Incheon, which was released last September on the YouTube channel 'Tamgu Saenghwal - Stories of a Life That Makes Money,' was shared on an online community, sparking delayed interest.

YouTube channel 'Tamgu Saenghwal - Stories of Life That Make Money'

In the video, he revealed that after completing his military service in his early 20s and dropping out of university, he started working as a bus driver. The reason he dropped out of university was that he felt there was no need to attend while paying expensive tuition fees.

When the host asked, "There are many types of buses such as tour buses and express buses, so why did you choose to drive a city bus?" Seo replied, "I originally didn’t have any particular dreams. I was just drifting from one part-time job to another, and my father suggested I try being a bus driver since I didn’t know what to do. Among my father’s acquaintances, who was a Taekwondo instructor, there was a current bus driver."

He said, "At first, I also had a negative view of bus driving. I thought bus drivers were reckless drivers, had bad temperaments, and were people with nothing better to do," but added, "However, after looking into it, I realized those were all old stereotypes. Nowadays, there are many kind drivers, and the salary is quite good."

Seo, who decided to become a bus driver, obtained a large vehicle license and a bus driver qualification certificate. After gaining experience by driving a shuttle bus at Everland Zoo in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province for a year, he was hired as a city bus driver about two years ago. Thanks to his shuttle bus driving experience, he was able to skip the bus driver training required at the Hwaseong Education Center in Gyeonggi Province.

YouTube channel 'Tamgu Saenghwal - Stories of Life That Make Money'

In the video, he said, "Here, the salary increases at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. After tax, you usually start with about 2.7 to 2.75 million won. At 6 months, you get about 3 to 3.1 million won," and added, "The real increase starts after 2 years; once you pass 2 years, you definitely get 4 million won. If you work on holidays like Chuseok or Lunar New Year, you get overtime pay, so you can earn up to 4.3 to 4.5 million won." He also revealed the monthly salary he receives as a bus driver. However, he noted that after 2 years, the salary increases by about 50,000 to 60,000 won annually.

Seo cited the advantages of being a bus driver as ▲earning a good salary and ▲being able to transfer to better companies such as airport buses after gaining city bus experience. On the other hand, the disadvantages he mentioned were ▲having to wake up early, around 3:30 a.m., ▲the risk of drowsy driving accidents, and ▲potential unpleasant incidents with passengers.

Seo said, "Adults discouraged me. They asked why I would work as a bus driver at such a young age, saying I should try many challenges and that it wouldn’t be too late to do this when I’m older," but added, "However, I have never once regretted choosing this path."

He continued, "My father has always been my lighthouse whenever I faced crossroads in life. He guided me on this path as well, and since my hobbies and skills suit this job, I feel pride in it every moment," and said, "I take pride in being the feet of the citizens, holding the steering wheel, shifting gears, and pressing the accelerator of this big vehicle."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.