13 essay writers, 15 character artists among 28 graduates showcasing work through Sunday

A view of the "Space of Dreams" exhibition hall. [Songpa-gu]
A view of the "Space of Dreams" exhibition hall. [Songpa-gu]

"After leaving my job, I had no idea what to do next. But publishing a book gave me the confidence to believe I could start over."

Those are the words of Seok Jeong-hyeon, who published the essay collection "I Was So Anxious I Had My Fortune Read." She is among a group of women who set aside their careers for childbirth, child-rearing and family caregiving — women long known only as someone's mother or someone's wife — who are now meeting readers and visitors as authors.

Songpa-gu in Seoul said it had produced 28 graduates through its Women's Tomorrow Job Academy in the first half of this year — 13 essay writers and 15 character artists — and held a graduation exhibition titled "Space of Dreams" to showcase their work.

The exhibition runs free of charge at the Culture Experiment Space Hosu from June 18 through June 28.

Last year, Songpa-gu created 243 jobs for women with career breaks through its employment and startup support programs.

Since March, the district has operated two courses at the Songpa Women's Career Reconnection Center — "Starting Today, I'm a Writer!" and "Character Creator" — to help women whose careers were interrupted by childbirth, child-rearing or caregiving re-enter the workforce and participate in economic activity.

The program focuses on producing tangible results rather than hobby activities. Of the 13 essay course graduates, 12 wrote and published their own books on the online bookstore Kyobo, while all character course graduates listed their original stickers and emoticons on Naver Line and OGQ Market.

The exhibition was organized to share the graduates' work with local residents. Visitors can read the books the graduates published and take part in a coloring activity using the character artwork.

The Women's Tomorrow Job Academy has supported women's economic participation since the eighth directly elected administration took office in 2022. It began by helping women with social worker licenses find employment, but this year expanded its scope to include creative and entrepreneurial fields.

In the second half of the year, the district plans to offer training for women preparing to launch or in the early stages of running a business, covering market development, AI applications, and tax and accounting.

"We will continue to expand support policies so that women with career breaks can keep pursuing new challenges," district mayor Seo Gang-seok said.


ikson@heraldcorp.com