Fifty years older than peers, grandma goes back to school

Park Young-sun, second from left, with her classmates at Nammok Middle School in Ulsan on Feb. 9. By Lee Ki-won

ULSAN ― After the month-long winter vacation, Park Young-sun caught up with her classmates on Feb. 9, chattering as all middle school students do.
“Learning and chatting is fun,” Park said. “I’d love to go to school every day.”
But Park, in the first grade at Nammok Middle School, is far from your average middle schooler. She’s 63 years old.
This puts her five years older than the principal of the school and almost 50 years older than her classmates.
“It is fun overcoming difficulties to study in school,” Park said. “I lost this opportunity for 50 years due to poverty, and now I’m enjoying myself.”
Park was born the youngest of a family of six brothers and sisters. She gave up her education early due to the death of her two older brothers during the Korean War (1950-53). She quit school in the fourth grade of elementary school.
Park got the inspiration to go back to school three years ago after listening to a friend’s advice. Her friend guided her to Dongkwang School, where housewives volunteer as teachers. With the warm support of her husband, 66, and son, 28, Park passed the qualifying exam to enter middle school. The Ulsan Office of Education assigned her to Nammok.
“I thought she would give up within a few days, but she didn’t,” said Park Kook-i, 58, the school principal. “She showed her classmates that learning is a great opportunity.”
Park goes to school early in the morning, wearing a school uniform and carrying a typical schoolbag, to sit in the front row of her classroom. She answers her teacher’s questions with the same enthusiasm as her younger classmates.
Although she blushes when it’s time for English, she isn’t reluctant to ask questions and give presentations in front of the class. Park doesn’t skip gym class, either.
Nammok Middle School opened last year, and there are 249 students in eight classes. To catch up with the school curriculum, Park registered at a hagwon, or private tutoring institute, before the semester.
Park is active in extracurriculars as well. “Park has volunteered to lead the anti-smoking campaign at school,” homeroom teacher Jung Jong-chul said. “She offers great guidance to the students.”
As for after middle school, Park has a dream: “I want to volunteer to teach poverty-stricken children.”

By Lee Ki-won JoongAng Ilbo [enational@joongang.co.kr]