9. Korea's 'Iron Rice Bowl': The Rise (and Fall) of Civil Service and Teaching Careers

What happens when job security becomes a national obsession?

In this episode, we trace South Korea’s decades-long search for the ultimate stable career—from the civil servant boom after the 1997 IMF crisis to today’s frenzied race for medical school.

You’ll hear how shattered economic dreams gave rise to the myth of the “iron rice bowl,” why teaching became elite almost overnight, and why neither profession holds the same allure anymore.

👉 If you’ve ever wondered why Korean parents push so hard—or why medicine now feels like the only “guaranteed” career—this episode unpacks the historical roots behind those pressures.

🎧 Listen now to explore:

* How public service jobs became a survival strategy in the 2000s

* Why even top students flocked to teaching colleges

* What’s driving thousands of teens (and 20-somethings) to retake the college entrance exam year after year

* And what all of this reveals about modern Korean anxieties

👂 Audio generated with Google’s NotebookLM, featuring original narration and cultural context not found in the written version.

📚 Part 9 of the “Growing Up in Korea” series🔗 Read the full article here

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