Young Korean woman's life in Africa

By Kim Tae-gyu

At the age of 22, Sogang University student Cho Eun-soo could not find a reason to live. But before making any hasty decisions about her life, she wanted to do one thing: visit the far away continent of Africa.

She worked hard to make money for the trip, which could have been her last one, and bought a one-way ticket to Africa where she stayed longer than a year in total.

After having extreme and at the same time fantastic experiences in six African countries including Sudan, Ethiopia and Madagascar, she now seems to have found a reason to keep breathing.

“In 2013, I stayed in the Ethiopian highlands for about 10 days with no electricity and even with no toilets. Back then, blood-sucking bugs plagued me all night,” the 26-year-old recollected.

“I have a sense of strange self confidence now. Because I went through all the difficulties in Africa, I feel I can do anything no matter how difficult it may turn out to be. After coming back to Korea, I wrote a book on my African trip and finished my university studies. I am now preparing for the next step.”

Although she has returned, she is different from her contemporaries who typically study foreign languages to get good scores, take internships and try to get certifications to get a job.

As the job market for college graduates remains very tight due to the sluggish economy, the competition becomes stiffer among the country’s youngsters.

“At a time when the job opportunities are so scarce for my generation, I don’t want to go all-out to get a job at a company and work like a part of a big machine. I seek a different path,” she said. “Definitely, travels and adventures will be an integral part of the alternative path.”

Asked what her next step is, she picked a pair of options. One is to study Arabic in Egypt and the other is to cross the Scandinavian snowy fields on a dog sled.

Cho seems to lean toward the latter — after experiencing sultry weather; she might want to feel the opposite extreme of the Scandinavian cold.

“There is an event backed by a Swedish outdoor brand. A group of people from across the world will take part in the six-day journey on a dog sled,” she said. “I am trying hard to be a part of that.”