Choi Kang-hee Reflects on the Bitter Reality of Waste Paper Collection: "Even a Cart Full Only Brings in 2,000 Won"

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\r\n[Financial News] Actor Choi Kang-hee took part in waste paper collection firsthand, offering a glimpse into the harsh realities of labor and leaving a bitter aftertaste. As she pulled a handcart alongside elderly collectors on the street, she shared in their exhausting daily routine and revealed without embellishment that even a cart filled to the brim brings in only a few thousand won.
On the 29th of last month, a video titled "[An Old Man's Income from Picking Up Waste Paper] There Are Other Scrap Items That Make Money" was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'I Am Choi Kang-hee.' In the video, Choi Kang-hee met an elderly man who collects waste paper on the street, spoke with him, and experienced the work firsthand by pulling a handcart herself.
The elderly man she met that day said, "I start work at 3:30 a.m.," and explained calmly, "I move around at that time because there are fewer cars and it is relatively safe. By around 6:30 a.m., when the scrap yard opens, I make about 3,000 to 5,000 won a day." He added, "If I'm bored, I sometimes go around one more time."
Choi Kang-hee immediately joined him in collecting waste paper. As she kept sorting boxes and tying them tightly with string, she said, "Bending down and standing back up puts a lot of strain on my back. Even tying the string is not easy," expressing the difficulties she felt. The elderly man also explained his own collection know-how, saying, "You have to remove the tape from the boxes and flatten them."
In particular, a detailed explanation of waste paper prices made the wall of reality all the more apparent. The elderly man said, "It's about 50 won per kilogram," adding, "Even if you load up a cart full of it, you only get around 3,000 to 5,000 won."
Later, the two delivered the collected waste paper and used clothes to a scrap dealer. But the amount they received for a cart full of materials was only 2,000 won. Choi Kang-hee smiled and said, "I made money," at the unexpectedly low earnings, but that reaction also reflected the heavy reality she had come to feel through the experience.
After the experience ended, Choi Kang-hee visited the elderly couple again, talked with them, and offered a small amount of pocket money, expressing her warm sincerity.
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hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter