A woman in her 30s who quit her job as an accountant with an annual salary of 100 million won and is now working part-time cleaning restrooms at a hospital has become a topic of discussion.
Recently, the YouTube channel "I Am the Boss" featured a video titled "Reasons for Quitting as an Accountant with an Annual Salary of 100 Million Won and Cleaning Restrooms," introducing the life of Lee Yun-jae, 31.
Lee lived in Japan from the age of 5. He was the top student throughout his six years in middle and high school and passed the Japanese Certified Public Accountant exam in his junior year of college. He then worked as an accountant for four years in Japan and for three years in Korea.
Regarding becoming an accountant, Lee revealed, "When I was in the third year of high school, my mother was ill, and I thought that if I obtained a professional qualification, my mother would be happy." He reflected, "During high school, I was always the top student, and after becoming a professional accountant, I thought I was someone special."
Lee mentioned that a comment from a friend changed his perspective. He stated, "A high school friend I met after a long time said, 'Yun-jae, I thought you would live a somewhat special life.' After hearing that, my heart went 'thud.' I felt that I was not living a special life at all when people looked at me now."
He continued, saying that after hearing those words, he shed tears, wondering, "Why have I worked so hard until now?" and "What have I worked hard for?" while seriously contemplating.
Lee realized that trying to feel special by being the top of his class in his teens and earning a lot of money and getting promoted in a large company in his 20s would lead to an endless pursuit.
Lee also mentioned, "Even while working as an accountant, I felt like just an ordinary accountant." He expressed, "I was troubled by the thought, 'What more do I need to do to become special?' but I was in such a busy profession that I worked overtime every day without time to think about it."
He shared that he accidentally read a diary he wrote before joining the company, where he had noted, "I want to start my mornings reading books I love, take walks in the evening, and end the day writing in my diary," and explained that he was living a completely opposite life at that time.
After quitting, Lee has been working part-time cleaning restrooms. He remarked, "I had never cleaned a restroom before," and said, "I worried that cleaning restrooms might make me feel miserable, but I found out that it's not miserable at all. I am much happier now than I was as an accountant," while smiling.
Lee stated that he earned an annual salary of 100 million won while working as an accountant. He expressed, "In Korea, it seems many people feel pressured to live according to societal expectations and are overly concerned about how others perceive them," adding, "I hope to live a life without regrets when I die."
However, Lee does not plan to only work as a cleaner or part-timer. He is currently transitioning to becoming a life coach and mentioned that he is balancing part-time work until he achieves stable revenue.
Lee said, "I have never regretted resigning," noting, "I want to be someone who can show individuals who do not know what kind of life they want to live and are unable to live that life how to find their own unique life."