At the graduation ceremony of Sookmyung Women’s University, a private women’s research university in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Feb. 27, Kim Jeong-ja slowly made her way to the podium. The hall erupted in prolonged applause.
She was awarded an associate degree in Social Welfare from the university’s Future Education Institute, marking the end of a seven-year journey that began when she first learned to read and write the Korean alphabet.
“This moment exists because of everything I learned here, and because of my friends who studied and cheered alongside me,” she said, as quoted by The Korea Times.
Born as the eldest of eight children, Kim grew up in the shadow of war. Her family was forced to evacuate to Geoje Island to escape bombings.
She recalled that in her time, girls were not allowed to attend school and she had to work “until my fingernails wore off.”
From domestic help and lunchbox factories to public bathhouses, she took any job that paid.
After a lifetime of labor to support her family and three children, she endured three surgeries for a curved spine.
Her life’s turning point came when she saw her daughter off at an airport, and realized she could not read the boarding gate signs. Not long after, while visiting a hospital for her spine, she received a promotional fan for an adult literacy class. She decided to enroll a few months later.
She learned to read and write, completed middle and high school equivalency programs, and became the oldest candidate ever to sit for the national university entrance exam in 2024.
She eventually enrolled at the Future Education Institute of Sookmyung Women’s University, the same school her granddaughter had graduated from.
Kim’s time at university was marked by considerable challenges.
Her commute from home to school lasted more than three hours, and because she could not operate a computer, she had to handwrite all her reports.
To make her 9 a.m. classes, she left her home before dawn, three times a week.
“When I came to university, I realized the studies were completely different from high school, and writing reports was extremely difficult,” she said, as cited by The Chosun Daily.
Unable to carry heavy textbooks, she bought two copies of the same book, keeping one at home and another at school. She tried her best not to miss classes, fearing that if she fell behind, catching up would be especially difficult.
Kim said the kindness of fellow students and professors helped her endure the challenges. She recalled how other students often walked her to the metro station, while professors patiently answered her questions.
She remains committed to learning for as long as her health allows, starting with another four-year degree in child welfare to support disadvantaged children. She has also been studying English to communicate with her grandchildren abroad.
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