Jung (28), a senior on leave in his fourth year of university, is now more commonly called by the nickname of the online game 'MapleStory' than his real name. After failing to find a job for three semesters, Jung stopped his job search and started earning money through games—a so-called 'rice eater' (buying rice by playing games to make a living),,, First, he shares information such as 'hunting spots' with his peers (a group who play games together) on the messenger app Discord. He settles in a prime spot, sells the items he finds, or If you 'carry' (help hunt low-level gamers) for users, you can earn about 200 million mesos per hour in game currency, roughly 4,000 won in actual money. If you play more than 10 hours a day, you can earn 1 to 1.2 million won per month . "Every time I failed to get into more than 50 companies, I used the excuse of seeking comfort in games," he said. "When you 'make a living,' you forget the harsh reality." The number of people in their 20s who 'rested' for no particular reason has exceeded 400,000 per month this year, continuing its highest level since COVID-19. Recently, there has been a growing concern about young people spending their time playing games mainly online. In particular, self-mockery and Heartbreaking posts are drawing attention, such as claims such as 'Youth who rested can become a rice-eating population' if they become 'rice-eaters,' or 'Rice eaters should also be counted among the economically active population.' The employment shortage, which began with a lack of decent jobs, is now a bitter trend where young people seek jobs on their own. It is said to be a bittersweet trend that has reached the point where young people seek ways to settle for a state of giving up. From those who earn currency in-game and exchange it for real money according to market rates, to those who use high-end computers as 'full-time rice eaters ,' The scope is diverse. On YouTube and various gaming communities, information is actively shared on topics like 'minimum computer specs for making a living' and 'steps for raising characters for rice farmers.'
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